Charleston Gazette, Fanny Seiler Column

November 11, 2001

"When the state Supreme Court was winding up arguments last Wednesday in a civil case involving former Jefferson County Magistrate Katherine Santucci, Justice Larry Starcher asked her lawyer if she was still a magistrate. She was defeated last year, and when the lawyer responded in the negative, Starcher said he was glad.

'I never could stand the b*tch."

Several people were in the courtroom, and the court's proceedings can be accessed by telephone and by its Web cast on the court's Web page."

STARCHER YELLS AT DELEGATES, ATTORNEY IN HALLWAY

Charleston Sunday Gazette-Mail, Fanny Seiler, March 21, 1999

WHEN THE 60-DAY legislative session ended a week ago without a pay raise for judges and justices, Supreme Court Chief Justice Larry Starcher became angry instantly and cussed at a delegate and a House Judiciary Committee staff attorney.

"I thought it was pretty disgraceful conduct," said Delegate Jon Amores, D-Kanawha, who was the blunt of an obscene description Starcher made in a loud voice in the hallway near the committee room.

Amores just happened to be walking by.

"I was venting my frustrations with my friend Mike Mowery," Starcher said. Mowery is the committee's chief legal counsel, and his office is down the hall from the committee room.

When Amores appeared, Starcher was loudly proclaiming that he would never speak again to Delegate Rusty Webb, R-Kanawha, who is Starcher's neighbor.

Starcher saw Amores, and turned his insults on the delegate. The justice acknowledged he made a reference to Amores' short stature, and said he apologizes for that.

Joe Altizer, also a committee staff attorney, said he told Starcher he shouldn't talk to Amores like that. At that point, Amores said Starcher really cussed Altizer out, so much so that afterward Amores told Altizer he was sorry Altizer took the heat for him.

Altizer said he started to get angry at Starcher, who was "very irate." Altizer and Mowery were standing at the top of a stairway and Altizer said Mowery took him by his elbow and started down the stairs.

Starcher followed them, but went a different direction when they reached the floor where the House chamber is located.

Amores said he had started to walk toward Starcher about the time Altizer spoke to Starcher to explain to Starcher why he voted against the pay bill.

Starcher said, "I didn't want to hear him."

Amores said he wasn't in a mood to vote for a legislative pay raise, and the Kanawha County delegation generally was concerned about a legislative pay increase being in a single bill with other state officials' raises.

Members of the delegation made it clear they'd be willing to look at a pay raise for other folks if the legislative pay raise wasn't in the bill, he said. The judicial salary increase was in that bill along with a per diem compensation increase for legislators outside their base pay, and an
increase in expenses.

Mowery said he told Starcher something to the effect that he needed to calm down. Starcher had a right to get mad, but he shouldn't have been up there, Mowery added.

Delegate Barbara Warner, D-Harrison, said Starcher told her that he had a long memory.

Justice Elliott Maynard said Friday that Senate Majority Leader Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, was a big supporter of the judicial raises.

"I sensed that Truman was kind of helping us," Starcher added.

"I'm not the only judge or justice in the state that's a little ticked off," Starcher said.

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