West Virginia court blocks justice’s impeachment trial

A group of judicial stand-ins has granted a petition sought by West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Margaret Workman to block her upcoming impeachment trial.

Five acting justices on the Supreme Court ruled in an opinion issued Thursday that the prosecution of Workman in the state Senate would violate the state constitution’s separation of powers clause.

Workman had filed the petition against the state Senate and its leaders, acting as the court of impeachment. Her impeachment trial had been set to start in the chamber Monday.