--- title: "John Thomas Copenhaver Jr. | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-thomas-copenhaver-jr-725" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # John Thomas Copenhaver Jr. U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia - State: Virginia - Role: Judge - Service status: former - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, S.D. West Virginia, 1976-present - John Thomas Copenhaver Jr. (1925–2026) was a distinguished U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of West Virginia, serving over 68 years on the federal bench and, at his death, the last actively serving judge appointed by President Gerald Ford - Adjunct professor, West Virginia University College of Law, 1970-1976 - Law clerk, Hon. Ben Moore, U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia, 1950-1951 - After law school, Copenhaver was a law clerk to Judge Benjamin F. Moore (1950–1951). - Colleagues described him as a “judge’s judge” — measured, humble, and steadfast in the rule of law ### Education - A.B. from West Virginia University in 1947 and an LL.B. in 1950. ### Additional information - Copenhaver died May 12, 2026, in Charleston at age 100. - Confirmed by the Senate in September 1976, he served until November 1, 2018, when he assumed senior status. - On August 26, 1976, President Gerald Ford nominated him to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, a seat vacated by Kenneth K. Hall. - He held the role of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge (1973–1976) and was an adjunct professor at WVU College of Law and a faculty member at the Federal Judicial Center. - Faculty member, Federal Judicial Center, 1970-1976 - Practiced law in Charleston until 1958, then became Referee in Bankruptcy for the Southern District of West Virginia (1958–1973). - Private practice, Charleston, WV, 1951-1958 - He entered The Citadel in 1942 and served in the U.S. Army’s Americal Division from 1944–1946, rising to staff sergeant and serving as a medic in the Philippines and Japan campaigns. - He attended Charleston schools, then the Kentucky Military Institute, graduating at 16 in 1942. - Born September 29, 1925 in Charleston, West Virginia, Copenhaver was the son of John T. Copenhaver Sr., mayor of Charleston, and Ruth Cherrington. - Date of birth: 1925-01-01 - Remembered for his fairness, dedication, and public service. - Last Ford-appointed federal judge still serving. - His career spanned more than 68 years on the federal bench, the longest in U.S. judicial history. - He remained the last actively serving judge appointed by Ford until his death. - Birth place: Charleston, WV ## 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 ### cell phones and electronic devices Scope: statewide Virginia courts commonly restrict cell phones and other electronic devices in court buildings; counsel and litigants should check the local court policy before arrival. Evidence excerpt: Most courts in Virginia do not allow you to bring a cell phone or other electronic device into the building. [Cell Phone & Electronic Device Policy](https://selfhelp.vacourts.gov/node/30/cell-phone-electronic-device-policy) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/725/john-thomas-copenhaver-jr/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/725/john-thomas-copenhaver-jr/) - [U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/725/john-thomas-copenhaver-jr/) - [Cell Phone & Electronic Device Policy](https://selfhelp.vacourts.gov/node/30/cell-phone-electronic-device-policy) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/725/john-thomas-copenhaver-jr/) - [Passing of United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.](https://www.wvsd.uscourts.gov/news/passing-united-states-district-judge-john-t-copenhaver-jr) - [John Thomas Copenhaver, Jr. - Barlow Bonsall](https://barlowbonsall.com/obituaries/john-thomas-copenhaver-jr) - [Wikidata: John Thomas Copenhaver, Jr.](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6260541) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-thomas-copenhaver-jr-725", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-thomas-copenhaver-jr-725", "name": "John Thomas Copenhaver Jr. | KnowJudges", "description": "John Thomas Copenhaver Jr., U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. 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