WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) - A West Virginia magistrate who resigned after it was discovered she never finished high school has been reinstated.
A lawyer for Janine Varner says she has passed a high school equivalency test and Ohio County Circuit Judge Ronald Wilson swore her back into office Monday. A county court clerk has confirmed the reappointment.
“Everyone should remember it is never too late to get your high school diploma or even go back to college,” Varner said in a statement. “Education is a lifetime experience.”
Varner resigned last month after the state Supreme Court of Appeals suspended her without pay. The court’s ruling did not give a reason for her suspension, saying only that she “has engaged or is currently engaged in a serious violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct.”
Varner’s attorney, Teresa C. Toriseva, said in a statement that Varner didn’t graduate from high school but instead completed a vocational program. Toriseva said she believes Varner met the state’s qualifications for magistrates but that Varner would take a GED test to clear up any questions.
Varner was appointed as magistrate in August after her predecessor, Harry A. Radcliffe, was sentenced to four months in prison for tax fraud.
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