Controversial West Virginia judge announces bid for reelection
Controversial West Virginia judge announces bid for reelection
Just as my investigation heats up, Judge Steven Shaffer took this Facebook page to make the announcement.
A West Virginia judge who has been the subject of several of my stories since September 2023 has announced his bid for reelection.
Judge Steven Shaffer, from Preston County, took to his Facebook page to make the announcement. The post is now private, but I have screenshots.
It was a veritable love fest, with several supporters signaling that support.
That is likely because Judge Shaffer blocked all negative comments.
Both Michael Bean and Nancy Layton, whose stories I have previously featured, tried to leave comments but were blocked.
This may violate previous Supreme Court precedence, as Judge Shaffer is a public official, and the Supreme Court has ruled he can’t block constituents.
Since this is Judge Shaffer’s personal Facebook page, this may be a gray area, but what’s even more troubling is some new information I have found.
I spoke with a woman who goes by Spanny Brat and runs a Facebook page called “Wicked Warriors Families”. She said she has talked to at least two hundred people who have had their parental rights terminated by Judge Shaffer.
I have helped over 200 clients that he has for no reason terminated their rights, refused to hear or even see evidence proving they are good parents. Refused to get them a real lawyer, refused to recuse himself when there is major conflict of interests. That being family, close friends, or having a vendetta with them already.
Taking a client back into the judge chamber and repeatedly yelling at them when there pro se and asked the same question while choosing a jury that a lawyer asked.
He plays favorites. He is unethical, immoral, and very biased on the way things should be.
…
There is never an investigation nor a warrant for removal. They claim there was reason for removal due to harm but none ever proven.
I had one case the father let them in they handed him a card with lawyer name and court date already on it as they took the kids out.
Another one they threated to throw 14yr old in prison if she didn’t leave with a case worker.
While I can’t independently verify this number, I know of at least two people who have had their rights terminated.
I previously did Michael Bean’s story, and there is a lawsuit from another couple.
Parents of six children filed a $10 million federal lawsuit against Preston Circuit Judge Steve Shaffer and three others, saying their constitutional rights were violated.
Scott Richard Nestor and Celina Dawn Sansone filed suit against Shaffer, Preston Assistant Prosecutor Anne Armstrong, Morgantown attorney Kristen Antolini and Carrie Poier of the State Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR).
Nestor and Sansone allege they were deprived of their rights to freedom of religion, speech, protection from unreasonable search and seizure, due process, to assemble peacefully and to petition government for redress.
“Everything has been taken from us, our house, car, kids and freedom,” they say in the suit.
They want the court to grant them $10 million and return their six children, who are in foster care, and drop the case against them involving the children.
In the suit, Nestor and Sansone say their home was “unjustly seized” in July 2019. Antolini was appointed guardian ad litem to represent the children, now aged 4, 9, 10, 11, 14 and 16. Nestor and Sansone say she lied in order to get the children taken away.
Judge Shaffer, whom they accuse of being biased, should not have heard the case because he represented Sansone’s landlord in a 2018 eviction case, when Shaffer was in private practice, they say.
Paperwork on file at the Preston County Courthouse shows Shaffer asked the State Supreme Court whether he should disqualify himself from the case.
If the number is anywhere near 200, Judge Shaffer must be defeated in the upcoming election. Termination of parental rights (TPR) is the death penalty for parenting. It should be used very rarely. For a judge to terminate anywhere near two hundred parent’s rights shows an extreme callousness. It is a callousness consistent with his behavior toward Bean and Layton. Check out my interview with Nancy Layton below.
I reached out to Judge Shaffer through Facebook, but he has not responded yet.
I also spoke with Ben Helmick, who did not have his rights terminated, but he has had the displeasure of being in front of Judge Shaffer. Here is his statement.
Judge Steven L. Shaffer is well known for allowing anything Child protective Services to implant into your case. He has a former C. P. S supervisor Carrie Power, who resigned over a ligations of misconduct performing drug screens. No case has the statutes of law in the court documents, for his findings of law. He is a child trafficking monster. Every one should file a statement of Decision within 5 days of every hearing with Shaffer. He has to show what laws he used when he decides how long to keep your kids. Shaffer is out of control. May 2024 everyone vote no! Don't forget Peggy Pase is running for Magistrate in Preston County. One of Shaffer's minions. Vote no to both
Check out a hearing from Ben’s case with Judge Shaffer below.
There is one more cause for concern. The website Ballotpedia has some details of Judge Shaffer.
Judges in Circuit Courts are elected for an eight-year term. This means Judge Shaffer will be over one hundred if he is reelected and serves out his term.
The election will be held in November 2024.
Post-script
Find the previous three articles in the series: article one, article two, and article three. Also, please contribute to the fundraiser to get more stories on Judge Shaffer and Preston County.
