Menis E. Ketchum II (born January 31, 1943, in Wayne County, West Virginia) is an American politician and jurist who served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. He was elected as a Democrat to a twelve-year term on the Court in November 2008 and served as chief justice in 2012 and served a second term as chief justice in 2016. He resigned in July 2018 with slightly less than 18 months left in his term. Ketchum resigned prior to the Impeachment of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, but was still implicated by the House of Delegates. On July 31, 2018, he pled guilty to a felony count of fraud related to his personal use of a state vehicle and gas fuel card. Background Ketchum was born and raised in Wayne County, West Virginia, the son of attorney Chad Ketchum (1911–98). A graduate of a West Virginia public school, Ketchum attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio from 1960-64. Upon returning to West Virginia, he enrolled at the West Virginia University College of Law in Morgantown. In 1967, he obtained his Juris Doctor. Prior legal career Ketchum returned to Huntington, West Virginia to practice law with his father in the law firm of Greene, Ketchum & Baker in 1967. He practiced law with Greene, Ketchum, Bailey & Tweel and was senior partner from 1980 until his election to the Supreme Court. Ketchum was appointed to the Marshall University Board of Governors by then-Governor Bob Wise in 2002. He resigned on January 2, 2008, while serving as Vice-Chairman, to campaign for a seat on the Supreme Court of Appeals. Elections Fall 2008: In the November General Election, Workman and Ketchum faced Republican nominee Beth Walker. Walker was the sole Republican nominee running for one of two spots on the Court, guaranteeing the election of either Ketchum or Workman and that the Court would likely remain majority-Democratic for at least four more years. Although Republicans won at the presidential level in West Virginia for the third straight presidential election, Democrats swept all of the other statewide offices on the ballot, including Governor, U.S. Senator, and every other executive office holder. However, the relatively nonpartisan nature of judicial races and the victory of Brent Benjamin to the Supreme Court in 2004 as a Republican, made the November general election competitive. Nevertheless, Huntington trial attorney Ketchum and