--- title: "Janine L. Varner | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/janine-l-varner-wv-magistrate-ohio" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Janine L. Varner West Virginia Magistrate Court, Ohio County · Magistrate ## Profile - Court: West Virginia Magistrate Court, Ohio County - State: West Virginia - Role: Magistrate - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-27 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - In a May 1, 2020 Lede News interview, she described nearly fifteen years in the Ohio County judicial system and work in the circuit clerk’s office - Appointed as an Ohio County magistrate in September 2019 by then-Chief Judge Ronald Wilson - Magistrate Judge for Ohio County, Division 3 under the West Virginia Judicial System - While her specific policy priorities are yet to be detailed in public profiles, her role involves presiding over magistrate-level cases, ensuring fair and efficient justice, and supporting the community in the Northern Panhandle region of West Virginia ### Education ### Additional information - As an elected nonpartisan magistrate, Varner’s term runs through 2028. - The interview reports a 2019 appointment by Ronald Wilson and reappointment in October 2019 after she completed the West Virginia high-school-equivalency examination. - Listed on the official West Virginia Judiciary site as part of the Ohio County Magistrate Court, with the court located at 26 Fifteenth Street, Wheeling, WV 26003. - Her career includes prior service in the Ohio County Circuit Clerks Office and early work experience starting with newspaper route delivery at age 12. - She reported working alongside six circuit judges, a Supreme Court judge and senior-status judges, clerking criminal and civil trials among them mass litigation in the federal building. - Varner’s tenure has been marked by a public academic challenge: she was initially suspended by the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals due to concerns over her high school diploma, which was vocational rather than traditional. - She then worked to obtain the West Virginia equivalent of a GED, passing most of the exams on her first attempt but struggling with algebra. - She ultimately passed the final exam, leading to her reappointment. - She has described this as a “forever memory” and said it “set me free” and “gave me my wings back”. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### camera and audio equipment Scope: statewide West Virginia Trial Court Rule 8 makes courtroom camera and audio equipment subject to the presiding circuit judge's or magistrate's permission. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://www.courtswv.gov/legal-community/court-rules/wv-trial-court-rules-contents) Source checked: 2026-07-27 ### advance media request timing Scope: 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. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://www.courtswv.gov/legal-community/court-rules/wv-trial-court-rules-contents) Source checked: 2026-07-27 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtswv.gov/public-resources/court-information-county/ohio_county) - [Official roster](https://www.courtswv.gov/public-resources/court-information-county/ohio_county) - [West Virginia Judiciary official judicial roster](https://www.courtswv.gov/public-resources/court-information-county/ohio_county) - [West Virginia Trial Court Rules, Rule 8: Media Coverage of Court Proceedings](https://www.courtswv.gov/legal-community/court-rules/wv-trial-court-rules-contents) - [West Virginia Judiciary Ohio County directory](https://www.courtswv.gov/public-resources/court-information-county/ohio_county) - [ledenews.com](https://ledenews.com/janine-varner-she-wants-her-job/) - [www.courtswv.gov](https://www.courtswv.gov/node/32731) - [www.courtswv.gov](https://www.courtswv.gov/node/1476) - [wvpress.org](https://wvpress.org/wvpa-sharing/varner-earns-ged-back-in-as-magistrate-in-w-va/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/janine-l-varner-wv-magistrate-ohio", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/janine-l-varner-wv-magistrate-ohio", "name": "Janine L. Varner | KnowJudges", "description": "Janine L. Varner, West Virginia Magistrate Court, Ohio County. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-07", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/janine-l-varner-wv-magistrate-ohio#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/janine-l-varner-wv-magistrate-ohio#judge", "name": "Janine L. 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