Monongalia County (West Virginia) gets new judge, prosecutor

Monongalia County prosecutor until Friday, DeChristopher was appointed to serve as a judge on the 17th Judicial Circuit by Gov. Jim Justice. She replaces Judge Phillip Gaujot, who retired.

“I must admit that this would be much more comfortable for me as I stand in this courtroom behind this podium, if I began with ladies and gentlemen of the jury and proceeded to discuss even a brutal murder than it will be to talk about myself,” DeChristopher said.

Instead she spoke about the people in her life — both gathered in the room and those who didn’t make it.

DeChristopher thanked her husband, Chuck Porter, and her two children, Sydney and Chase — who held the Bible as she was sworn in. Her husband performed the official robing after she was sworn in.

Her father, a long-time bailiff, a sister, a brother and a sister-in-law also attended. DeChristopher said if her mom — who worked in the circuit clerk’s office — were there, she would love every minute of the accomplishments being celebrated. She reminisced about how lucky she was to be able to work in the same building as her parents.

DeChristopher also thanked her peers, mentors, employees, and law enforcement that she worked with through the years, all of whom contributed to her journey — with a special thanks to former Monongalia County Prosecutor Marcia Ashdown.

“She was the mentor that every new lawyer wished for, but I got to have for almost 20 years,” DeChristopher said.

A special thanks also was given to the current and former judges in attendance, who have seen DeChristopher in “just about every type of trial imaginable.”

“They’ve shown me that not all decisions are black and white; compassion is not absent in the courtroom,” DeChristopher said. “And I will take a little bit of every single one of them onto the bench with me every single day.”

With DeChristopher taking the bench, the 17th Judicial Circuit is now entirely comprised of women.

“Directly following my appointment, Judge [Susan] Tucker immediately reached out and noted that we were making history, the three of us on the third floor, being an all-woman judiciary here in Monongalia County. And I will certainly strive to honor that,” DeChristopher said.

She promised patience and civil treatment for lawyers and litigants.

“I believe that is at the heart of a great judiciary,” DeChristopher said.

An hour later, following a reception, most of the crowd filed back into the courtroom to watch Gabrielle Mucciola sworn in as Monongalia County Prosecutor.

“There’s been a recent vacancy,” DeChristopher joked before giving Mucciola her oath of office.

Her husband Michael and son Luca held the Bible while she took that oath.

Mucciola was appointed by the Monongalia County Commission on Wednesday. She began working in the prosecutor’s office as a 19-year-old freshman at West Virginia University.

She called it a bittersweet moment and thanked DeChristopher, Ashdown and her other mentors in the prosecutor’s office.

“I have grown up here under the guidance of wonderful attorneys … so many wonderful people have brought me up, and it’s just surreal to be here right now,” Mucciola said. “And I’m honored to have this opportunity.”