Tera L. Salango at a glance
- Current role
- Circuit Judge
- Jurisdiction
- West Virginia · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Tera L. Salango
Circuit Judge · West Virginia Circuit Court, Kanawha County
Biography
Professional career
- Tera L. Salango is a judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit (Kanawha County, West Virginia), elected in 2018 and re‐elected in 2024
- She was elected circuit judge in November 2018 and re‐elected in 2024
- 2005–2016: Assistant prosecutor in Kanawha County
- Earlier career experience includes attorney, Spilman, Thomas & Battle, focused on civil defense litigation; attorney, Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, 2005-late 2016
- Bachelor's degree, Criminal Justice, magna cum laude from West Virginia State University in 1999
Education
- West Virginia University College of Law, top 20% of her class, member of the Order of the Barristers — J.D. (2003)
- B.A. in Criminal Justice, magna cum laude, West Virginia State University (1999)
Additional information
- Scholarship established at WV State University in her honor (2024)
- West Virginia Wonder Woman Award (2022, WV Living magazine)
- Inducted into Nitro High School Hall of Achievement (2022)
- Elected to the Kanawha County circuit bench in 2018.
- Civil litigator in private practice from late 2016 until election.
- In 2016, she joined her husband’s law firm, Preston & Salango, PLLC
- handling violent felonies, misdemeanors and juvenile matters.
- focusing on civil litigation.
- Listed in the official West Virginia Judiciary directory for the Eighth Judicial Circuit.
- Boards for PRO‐Kids, Inc., Susan G. Komen West Virginia, and the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children, Inc..
- Judge Salango presides over cases in Kanawha County Circuit Court, the county’s general‐jurisdiction trial court handling felonies, major civil cases, equity matters, some misdemeanors, and appeals from lower courts.
- Early legal work at Spilman, Thomas & Battle in civil defense litigation
- Lawyers and Leaders Award from WVU College of Law
- She is active in Charleston community initiatives, especially those supporting children and victims of crime.
- A native of Nitro, WV, Salango is married to Ben and has two sons.
- She has cited her brother’s murder at age 16 as a pivotal moment shaping her legal career.
- Generation Next: 40 Under 40.
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, Kanawha 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 Kanawha County directory
Identity/Contact/Assignment source · HTML · Source checked October 4, 2026
View West Virginia Judiciary Kanawha County directory ↗Judge Tera L. Salango
Biography source · HTML · Source checked October 5, 2026
View Judge Tera L. Salango ↗