Published: January 05, 2009 11:54 pm      

Complaint filed against W.Va. family law judge

FCUMBERLAND — A Springfield, W.Va., man has filed an ethics complaint against an Eastern Panhandle judge for abusing her authority, according to the West Virginia Record.

Fred Schermerhorn filed a complaint last month with the Judicial Investigation Commission of the state Supreme Court against Judge Sally Jackson, who is a family law judge in the 24th Circuit.

Jackson had complained that Schermerhorn was practicing law illegally, but a West Virginia Bar Committee ruled that her complaint was without substance and dismissed her accusations last fall.

The committee said it would issue a warning to Schermerhorn about being careful not to cross the line between political advocacy and rendering legal advice.

Schermerhorn had written a letter to the editor that was published about a year ago in The Journal in Martinsburg encouraging anyone going through a divorce with children to contact Men and Women Against Discrimination for advice in dealing with the court system. He serves as a regional coordinator for the Vienna-based children’s advocacy group.

In his complaint against Jackson, Schermerhorn said that he feels the judge used her official capacity to try to intimidate him into silence, which is a violation of his constitutional rights under the First Amendment.