MARTINSBURG, W.VA. - Gina Marie Groh, an assistant prosecuting attorney in Jefferson and Berkeley counties since 1998, has been appointed by Gov. Joe Manchin to the new judgeship for the Eastern Panhandle's 23rd Judicial Circuit.
Manchin announced the 42-year-old attorney's appointment Friday in conjunction with filling two vacancies in the 4th and 9th circuits.
"After a very thorough selection process and careful consideration, I am pleased to announce the appointment of three individuals who will be outstanding additions to the quality pool of jurists we're fortunate to have leading West Virginia's legal system," Manchin said in a press release.
A Washington County native and graduate of Williamsport High School, Groh will be only the third female circuit judge in West Virginia. She joins David H. Sanders, Christopher C. Wilkes, Gray Silver III and Thomas W. Steptoe Jr. on the bench in the Eastern Panhandle.
"I'm just thrilled that I got the appointment," Groh said a little more than an hour after receiving a congratulatory telephone call from Manchin at her office in the Jefferson County Judicial Center in Charles Town, W.Va., where she has worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney since 2002. Groh began handling cases for the state in 1998 in Berkeley County.