H. Charles Carl III at a glance
- Current role
- Circuit Judge
- Jurisdiction
- West Virginia · State
- Judicial service
- Active
H. Charles Carl III
Circuit Judge · West Virginia Circuit Court, Hampshire County
Biography
Professional career
- Judge H. Charles Carl, III is the presiding judge of West Virginia’s Twenty‐Sixth Judicial Circuit, covering Hampshire, Hardy, and Pendleton counties, and has served on the bench since 2013
- Business Court Division judge, 2015-2022
- Earlier career experience includes began practicing in Romney in 1987 with his grandfather, William H. Ansel Jr.; the practice grew into Carl, Keaton, Frazer & Milleson, PLLC; general practice for more than 25 years covering criminal, civil, domestic and estate litigation
- Supervising judge of the South Branch Adult Treatment Court
Education
- Capital University Law School in — J.D. (1987)
- Bachelor's degree from University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in 1984
Additional information
- Elected in 2024 to the new Twenty-Sixth Judicial Circuit.
- Elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2016.
- President of the South Branch Valley Bar Association, 2006 until appointment to the bench.
- General counsel and director for the Bank of Romney for more than 20 years.
- Before joining the judiciary, Carl practiced law in Romney, WV, with his grandfather William H. Ansel Jr., founding Carl, Keaton, Frazer & Milleson, PLLC.
- Also president of the South Branch Valley Bar Association.
- Has served by temporary assignment on the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
- Past president of the West Virginia Judicial Association.
- He worked as a criminal, civil, domestic, and estate litigator, and held the role of general counsel and board member for the Bank of Romney for over 20 years.
- Carl is a native of Springfield, Hampshire County, and a member of the Hampshire County Athletic Hall of Fame for his youth basketball coaching.
- He resides in Romney with his wife Lisa, and they have three daughters and two granddaughters.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Camera And Audio Equipment
Statewide
West Virginia Trial Court Rule 8 makes courtroom camera and audio equipment subject to the presiding circuit judge's or magistrate's permission.
Cameras and audio equipment may be permitted in and around the courtrooms at the discretion of each presiding circuit judge or magistrate.West Virginia Trial Court Rules, Rule 8: Media Coverage of Court Proceedings ↗
Advance Media Request Timing
Statewide
West Virginia Trial Court Rule 8 directs the presiding officer to decide requests for camera or audio coverage made at least one day before the proceeding, and lack of advance approval may preclude use.
Requests made by a party or any other person at least one day in advance of the proceedings.West Virginia Trial Court Rules, Rule 8: Media Coverage of Court Proceedings ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
West Virginia Trial Court Rules, Rule 8: Media Coverage of Court Proceedings
West Virginia Circuit Court, Hampshire County; West Virginia Circuit Court, Hardy County; West Virginia Circuit Court, Pendleton County
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-27Sources
Identity source checked July 27, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 11, 2026.
West Virginia Judiciary official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View West Virginia Judiciary official judicial roster ↗West Virginia Trial Court Rules, Rule 8: Media Coverage of Court Proceedings
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View West Virginia Trial Court Rules, Rule 8: Media Coverage of Court Proceedings ↗West Virginia Judiciary Hampshire County directory
Identity/Contact/Assignment source · HTML · Source checked October 4, 2026
View West Virginia Judiciary Hampshire County directory ↗West Virginia Judiciary Hardy County directory
Identity/Contact/Assignment source · HTML · Source checked October 4, 2026
View West Virginia Judiciary Hardy County directory ↗West Virginia Judiciary Pendleton County directory
Identity/Contact/Assignment source · HTML · Source checked October 4, 2026
View West Virginia Judiciary Pendleton County directory ↗Judge H. Charles Carl III
Biography source · HTML · Source checked October 5, 2026
View Judge H. Charles Carl III ↗