--- title: "Mary Beth Smith | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-beth-smith-wv-magistrate-braxton" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Mary Beth Smith West Virginia Magistrate Court, Braxton County · Magistrate ## Profile - Court: West Virginia Magistrate Court, Braxton 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 - Mary Beth Smith is the current Division 1 Magistrate Judge for the Braxton County Magistrate Court in West Virginia, elected in 2016 and re‐elected in 2022 - Judge Smith’s career includes service as a magistrate in the Braxton County Magistrate Court - A law-clerk result and Facebook judicial-secretary result lack an explicit attorney-to-magistrate identity bridge - While specific prior judicial or legal roles are not detailed in the provided sources, her current position reflects a long‐term commitment to local justice in West Virginia ### Education ### Additional information - First elected to the Division 1 Magistrate Court seat in May 2016 and ran unopposed. - The role is part of West Virginia’s local trial court system - handling various civil and criminal matters at the magistrate level. - Judge Smith’s work focuses on matters within the magistrate court’s jurisdiction, which can include traffic cases, small claims, certain criminal matters, and other local civil cases. - No safely attributed education or prior career biography recovered. - Mary Beth Smith as Braxton County magistrate through SOS and judicial directories. ## 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/braxton_county) - [Official roster](https://www.courtswv.gov/public-resources/court-information-county/braxton_county) - [West Virginia Judiciary official judicial roster](https://www.courtswv.gov/public-resources/court-information-county/braxton_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 Braxton County directory](https://www.courtswv.gov/public-resources/court-information-county/braxton_county) - [ballotpedia.org](https://ballotpedia.org/Mary_Beth_Smith) - [apps.sos.wv.gov](https://apps.sos.wv.gov/elections/Officials/Home/Details/017382ee-c280-4720-aa45-15ad150a9ab9) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-beth-smith-wv-magistrate-braxton", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-beth-smith-wv-magistrate-braxton", "name": "Mary Beth Smith | KnowJudges", "description": "Mary Beth Smith, West Virginia Magistrate Court, Braxton 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/mary-beth-smith-wv-magistrate-braxton#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-beth-smith-wv-magistrate-braxton#judge", "name": "Mary Beth Smith", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-beth-smith-wv-magistrate-braxton", "jobTitle": "Magistrate", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "West Virginia Magistrate Court, Braxton County" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.courtswv.gov/public-resources/court-information-county/braxton_county" ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "West Virginia", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/west-virginia" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mary Beth Smith", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-beth-smith-wv-magistrate-braxton" } ] } ] } ``` ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [West Virginia Trial Court Rules, Rule 8: Media Coverage of Court Proceedings](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-7bfc4ba5831cb3f30a5d65ca) — 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](https://www.courtswv.gov/legal-community/court-rules/wv-trial-court-rules-contents). Collected 2026-07-27.