 Former Chief Deputy Sheriff, Richard
"Rick" Postalwait has been appointed Calhoun Magistrate, filling a vacancy
created when Magistrate Steve Johnson resigned about one month ago. The
appointment was made by Circuit Judge Thomas Evans III. Several
candidates reportedly filed for appointment.
The twenty-nine-year-old Postalwait, a graduate of the West Virginia State
Police Academy, served as a Deputy Sheriff in Calhoun from 1994 to 2000.
He currently is working as a corrections officer at the St. Marys Correction
Center.
Postalwait was defeated in a four-person race for the position in 2000. "I
have had the opportunity to study and apply law on a daily basis," he said at
that time. "The judicial system shapes our lives and determines our future
conduct, both individually and as a society," he said. "Justice and treating
people equally are the hallmarks of the judicial system."
He will serve in the position until a candidate is elected in 2002, after
undergoing special training. Several candidates are expected to file for the
May primary. The elected candidate will officially take office when the
November ballots are counted.
The West Virginia Supreme Court is investigating wrong-doing by Magistrate
Steve Johnson, according to Judge Evans. Johnson resigned when the court
commenced the investigation.
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