Judicial Accountability and Recall Act

HB 5518, the "Judicial Accountability and Recall Act," establishes a voter-initiated process to remove West Virginia judges from office during their term. It allows registered voters to petition for a recall election by collecting signatures equal to 20% of the votes cast in the last election for that judicial position (within 120-160 days, depending on the court level). A recall election requires a majority "yes" vote to remove the judge, with the ballot including the petition's stated reasons (limited to 200 words) and the judge's 200-word response. This bill directly affects all statewide and local judicial officers (including Supreme Court justices, circuit judges, and magistrates) and creates the first state mechanism for public removal of judges without requiring prior disciplinary findings.