Dove seeks to be Circuit Court Judge in Fayette, continuing career of public service
By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV
“It’s rewarding when I can help people in the best and worst days of their lives.”
That’s how Evan Dove describes his varied legal experience, serving as an attorney and mental hygiene commissioner in Fayette County over the last decade. Now, he’s one of five candidates vying for the position of Circuit Judge after Justice Tom Ewing was appointed to the West Virginia Supreme Court.
“I have always been a resident of Fayette County,” Dove says, “except when I got an education in Morgantown, as it’s the only law school in West Virginia.”
Dove returned to Fayette County upon graduation and began working in real estate law with Fred Jesser before moving to the Clay Law Firm. In total, he’s been practicing law for a decade.
“I do wills, contracts, estates, all the things a general practice attorney does,” he shares. “And due to the shortage of attorneys, I also volunteered to go on the court-appointed list. That’s the list of attorneys that are willing to take child abuse & neglect cases, civil rights cases, etc.”
Judge Hatcher also appointed Dove to serve as the mental hygiene commissioner in Fayette County, a position he has held for 9 years in which he says he has presided over more than a 1,000 cases determining if people are a threat to themselves or the community.
“It’s a job at times where I frequently represent the people I grew up with or their children,” Dove says of his legal work. “Folks here are literally my neighbors. I’d like to be more of a public servant than I am now.”
Dove says circuit judges hold significant power. “Being a circuit judge, especfially in southern West Virginia, puts you in a position in which you make decisions and most folks won’t be able to appeal it. You really have to have an understanding of all the areas of law and the power and weight that is behind the bench.”
“You never want to go after power, but it’s important that someone who ends up in that position has a recognition of that,” he says. “They don’t want to seek it for putting on the black robe or a pay increase. You have to approach it from a position of public service. The purpose is to interpret the law.”
In terms of what citizens could expect of the courtroom under Dove’s leadership if he were to be elected, he says, “It is not going to be Judge Dove’s courtroom. It is going to be the people’s courtroom–no matter how much money they have or what political party they belong to.”
“Judge Hatcher taught me to be on time, courteous, and research my cases exhaustively,” he continues. “I have learned to understand that people have failings that require empathy and understanding. Most people are just that–people. You need to treat every individual with respect when they walk in the courtroom. That’s easy to say, I believe I’ve shown that in my work.”
Asked if he would continue the Family Treatment Court and Adult Treatment Court begun by Judge Ewing, Dove said he would as his clients have participated in the courts.
“The only cure we have for the narcotic and fentanyl crisis is the family treatment court process,” he believes. “Nothing else has near the level of success, and folks that really care. They really do care.”
He adds, “Make no mistake, folks who have violated the law will face the consequences of that. I’m not making jail bars out of candy canes. But I would much rather put in the extra work, past time on the clock, to ensure that people get the right treatment and punishment so we can prevent the next generation from falling into that trap. We do not want to create a cycle of continuation.”
Dove is running for Circuit Court in District 15 which serves Fayette County. His opponents include Judge Sam Fox, Brandon Gray, Larry Harrah, and Wes Toney. Voters will choose a judge in the primary election this May. All other candidates have been invited to be featured in a similar profile.
