BY MIKE NOLTING
Seven people have applied to fill the vacancy in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court that will be created with the retirement of Monongalia County Circuit Judge Phillip Gaujot.
The state Judicial Vacancy Commission recently closed the application period.
One of the applicants is Monongalia County Prosecutor Perri Jo DeChristopher. DeChristopher graduated from the WVU College of Law in 1994 and began working in the Harrison County prosecutor’s office.
In 1998, she became an assistant prosecutor in Monongalia County. She later became the chief assistant and was elected as Monongalia County prosecutor in 2016. She was reelected in 2020.
Also set to be interviewed for the position is Doddridge County Assistant Prosecutor Johnna Lee Shumate, WVU Managing Attorney for Student Life Gail Voorhees Lipscomb and attorneys De’Andra N. Burton, Michael Darren Sims, Natalie Jo Sal and William “Chad” Noel Jr.
The JVC is scheduled to interview the applicants Dec. 8. Gov. Jim Justice will make the final decision on who replaces Gaujot.
