his intent to resign from the court effective July 27, 2018. On July 31, 2018, he entered a guilty plea in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia in Charleston to a felony count of wire fraud. He was sentenced to three years probation and fined $20,000. On October 4, 2018, the Supreme Court of Appeals, due to Ketchum's criminal conviction, accepted the disciplinary recommendation of the state's Lawyer Disciplinary Board and officially annulled Ketchum's license to practice law in the state of West Virginia. Personal Married to the former Judy Varnum since 1966, the couple has three children and six grandchildren. Their son, Bert, is also a partner in his father's law firm. References External links Biography - Supreme Court of Appeals website |- 1943 births 21st-century American judges Disbarred American lawyers Living people Ohio University alumni People from Wayne County, West Virginia Politicians convicted of mail and wire fraud Justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia West Virginia lawyers West Virginia University alumni West Virginia Democrats West Virginia politicians convicted of crimes Judges convicted of crimes Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia