Although the state Judicial Investigation Commission is trying to remove Troy Sexton from the ballot for Putnam County magistrate due to numerous misdemeanors, Sexton said Tuesday he's a changed man.
"I'm not the same person I was two years ago," Sexton said. "I allowed the situations that have happened to me get the best of me."
Sexton and another candidate, Jean Anne Luikart, met with Gazette-Mail editors on Tuesday. Another candidate for the magistrate spot, Earl Gorrell, did not attend.
Luikart, who has served as a magistrate's assistant in Kanawha County since 2010, believes her experience in the courts makes her well qualified for the magistrate job. A former licensed practical nurse, she said she took the magistrate's assistant job because of her interest in law and justice.
In addition to working as magistrate assistant, she's also attended magistrate school every two years as part of her position as assistant.
Sexton, however, said the time he's spent seeing the system from the other side, in jail and the courtroom, makes him qualified for the magistrate position.
"I've been through the system," said Sexton, who works at a car dealership. "I know the flaws of it."
The Judicial Investigation Commission wants the state Supreme Court to remove Sexton from the ballot due to his conviction on several misdemeanors, including some involving "moral turpitude," or conduct contrary to justice, honesty and good morals.
Sexton - who called the JIC's petition to remove him from the ballot "garbage" on Monday - has until March 21 to respond to the JIC petition at the Supreme Court, spokeswoman April Harless said.
Sexton said Tuesday he was inspired to run for magistrate while sitting in the Western Regional Jail in the summer of 2014 - he had the idea that Putnam County courts were "stuck in the Stone Ages" and he had a calling to fix it.
"I've been to court several times," Sexton said. "I'm lucky I'm not in prison right now."
Luikart said it's important for magistrates to remain fair and neutral, even when emotions run high in magistrate court. She believes one of the problems right now is people making pleas without fully understanding their options. Luikart said as magistrate, she would make sure the person understands the plea when they're signing, and address the person directly to inform them of all their options.
"I understand what it takes to do the job," Luikart said. "I think my experience has prepared me well for the job."
Sexton said it's most important for a magistrate to have common sense and the ability to reason. He also added that the magistrate should "not have it out for anyone" and not stack a court room.
Sexton said the biggest obstacle to justice in Putnam County is the "BS" that goes on in the courtrooms, giving the example of former Putnam County magistrate Scot Lawrence.
Last December, Lawrence resigned and was publicly admonished by the JIC for his conduct during a hearing involving Sexton. After Sexton had insulted Lawrence and police officers, Lawrence - a former State Police trooper - took control of the prosecution's case and eventually challenged Sexton to a fight. Sexton recorded part of the hearing and put it online.
Sexton said Tuesday that, if he were magistrate and someone insulted him before or during a hearing, he would laugh it off.
Both Luikart and Sexton agreed its a good idea for bail bondsmen to go after people who have skipped bond.
However, while Sexton says the Putnam County courts are filled with attorneys, judges and witnesses who lie, Luikart said she hasn't seen such injustice in her experience in the courts.
Luikart said she also has experience and knowledge of the Uniform Judicial Application, which creates a unified system across West Virginia that allows courts, as well as defense counsel, prosecutors, officers and the public, to access court records, she said in a written reply to the Gazette-Mails questionnaire. She said Putnam County court has had the system since June 2015.
Two Putnam magistrates, Kylene Dunlap Brown and Kim Blair, are running for re-election without opponents on the ballot. Ronald Stone is running unopposed to fill the remainder of Lawrence's term.
For the first time in West Virginia, judicial candidates, including magistrates, are running in non-partisan elections without political parties. The election is May 10, and early voting begins April 27.
Reach Laura Haight at laura.haight@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4843 or follow @laurahaight_ on Twitter.