Former Judge Ward Harshbarger III of Charleston, WV; serial offender

The West Virginia Judicial Investigation Commissionhas found Judge Harshbarger guilty of engaging in the following misconduct.

Ward’s 1^st bite at the Judicial Misfit Apple Tree

• Neglected his judicial duties
• Failed to act with due diligence (slacker)
• On night court duty Ward his office without good reason before the end of his administratively established shift

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the cheerleaders for Judicial Misfits sitting on the Judicial Commission punished Ward by gifting him with a complimentary censure.

Ward’s 2^nd bite at the Judicial Misfit Apple Tree

• Improperly entered two voting precincts while the polls were still open and inquired as to the number of voters who had turned out to vote
• Failed to respect appropriate West Virginia Laws (Up yours, said Ward!)
• Ward did not live in either of the voting precincts, and, therefore was not registered to vote in either of them
• When asked to leave Precinct 454 by an election worker, Ward refused to leave
• Failed to comply with the law (scofflaw)
• Failed to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety
• Acted in a manner that failed to promote public confidence in the judiciary

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the cheerleaders for Judicial Misfits sitting on the Judicial Commission punished Ward by gifting him with a complimentary admonition.

Ward’s 3^rd bite at the Judicial Misfit Apple Tree

• When an officer arrived at 11:53 p.m. to arraign a defendant, Ward became angry and verbally reprimaned him in an unprofessional way in from of other officers and court staff
• Ward actually threw a Styrofoam cup at the arresting officer
• When two officers brought an arrestee before Ward in an arraignment room full of people, he referred to them as “idiots” and stated the Montgomery Police Department didn't know how to do their jobs
• Failed to comply with the law (scofflaw)
• Acted in a manner that failed to promote public confidence in the judiciary
• Failed to be patient, dignified, and courteous to litigants, jurors, witnesses, lawyers, court staff, court officials and others with whom the Ward dealt with in an official capacity
• Manifasted bias or prejudice in a proceedings he presided over

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the cheerleaders for Judicial Misfits sitting on the Judicial Commission punished Ward by gifting him with a complimentary admonition.

As one would suspect, Ward did what most cowardly Judicial Misfits in West Virginia do under the circumstances, he resigned his judicial office and promised to never again seek a judgeship in the future.

As we speak (ca. March 2023), it is rumored that Ward has applied for a job as a bathroom attendant at the Elite Gentlemen’s Club at 116 Capitol Street in Charleston, West Virginia.