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W. Va. Magistrate Judge to Take GED Test After Suspension

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – A lawyer for a West Virginia magistrate says the judge will take a GED test after being suspended for not finishing high school.

Attorney Teresa C. Toriseva issued a statement Thursday saying Ohio County Magistrate Janine Varner didn’t graduate high school but instead completed a vocational program.

The state Supreme Court of Appeals suspended Varner without pay Wednesday but did not give a reason other than saying she was violating the judicial code of conduct.

Toriseva says she believes Varner meets the state’s qualifications for magistrate judges but that Varner will take the GED test to remove all doubts.

Varner was appointed as magistrate last month after her predecessor was sentenced to four months in prison for tax fraud.