Rockefeller, Manchin Call on Senate to Quickly Confirm Judge Gina Marie Groh to Federal Bench
Senate Judiciary Today Passed Judge Groh’s Nomination in Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin applauded the Senate Judiciary Committee’s passage today of Judge Gina Marie Groh’s nomination to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia. They urged the full Senate to quickly confirm her for this position. Rockefeller sent a letter to the White House in March requesting that Judge Groh be nominated for this federal judgeship.
This seat has been vacant since the passing of Judge W. Craig Broadwater in 2006. Consequently, the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia has been without a federal judge for the past five years.
“Judge Groh is a fair, qualified, and compassionate judge,” said Rockefeller. “She has proven through her extensive legal experience, understanding of the law, and willingness to stand up for those who are most in need of legal help, that she would be an asset to the federal court. She has earned the respect and confidence of West Virginians both from her work as an even-handed judge, as well as her time as a diligent prosecutor and law firm associate. I was honored to recommend Judge Groh for this position and I urge the full Senate to confirm her to the federal bench quickly given the great need for filling this long vacancy in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, where she has long resided. I have no doubt that Judge Groh will continue to make West Virginia proud.”
“I was extremely proud to appoint Judge Groh to the circuit court when I was Governor of West Virginia, and I am pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee supported her nomination today,” Manchin said. “Judge Groh is a well-respected and recognized member of her community in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, as I have known for many years. I believe that Judge Groh’s experience, intellect, leadership, impartiality, and deep roots in the community make her a prudent choice for the vacancy in the Northern District of West Virginia. If confirmed, she will be the first resident of the Eastern Panhandle to sit as a U.S. District Court Judge in Martinsburg. Her extensive legal experience and dedication to public service demonstrate that she exemplifies not only the qualities of a talented jurist, but also the high moral character and sense of justice necessary to make a great judge.”
Judge Groh is a Charles Town resident and currently serves as a Circuit Court Judge for West Virginia’s 23rd Judicial Circuit. She was appointed to this position in 2006 and was elected in 2008 by the citizens of the Eastern Panhandle to serve a full term. Before becoming a Circuit Court Judge, she served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties for more than eight years – and she spent nine years as a Litigation Associate at firms in West Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland.
Judge Groh has been involved in her community, from participating in “Robes to School” – a program that helps our school children learn about our judges and judicial process – to volunteering with the Meals With Love Ministry in Charles Town, West Virginia.
Judge Groh earned her Juris Doctor from the West Virginia University College of Law and a Bachelor of Science from Shepherd University. She is admitted to practice before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, the Maryland Court of Appeals, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Courts of Maryland, the District of Columbia and the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia.
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