Meet the Cabell Co Family Court Judge Candidates

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WOWK) — Cabell County Family Court judges play a major role in family-related cases in the county.

There are three positions in Cabell County and one of them previously belonged to Jason Spears, who accepted the prosecutor position earlier this year. This therefore means that this role must be fulfilled.

There are two candidates on the primary ballot looking to fill this space, Sheronne Hornbuckle and Sarah Dixon.

13 News spoke with both candidates about their campaigns and why they believe they are the right person for the job.

Sherrone Hornbuckle says she is the best fit because of her community ties and experience working with families in the county. This includes his current employment with Cabell County Schools.

“For the last five years I have served as the general counsel (of Cabell County Schools) and before that I was an assistant district attorney where I dealt with juveniles and victims of domestic violence. It was when I started at Legal Aid for West Virginia that I developed my love for family law. Legal Aid for West Virginia is for people who cannot afford an attorney,” Hornbuckle says of his journey.

Sarah Dixon says she also believes it is important to provide lawyers to families regardless of their financial background, but she believes her experience as a family lawyer and her knowledge of the family court process makes of her the good candidate.

“I have been a family court lawyer for almost 12 years now so I know the ins and outs of family court. So I think that whole experience really helped prepare me to be an effective, fair, and equitable family court judge,” Dixon says, referring to her career as a lawyer in Cabell County.

Both candidates have also placed cases of domestic violence, abuse and neglect as a top priority, but they are also ensuring their campaigns are grounded in compassion and understanding of all situations.

“I’m going to help them through one of the hardest times in their lives, either a divorce or a custody battle. With the knowledge that I have and the compassion that I have in dealing with it myself and as an attorney…So I also know the law and how to apply it to their different situations,” Hornbuckle says.

“I don’t think I can make the decisions that will make everyone happy. The decisions are going to affect people in different ways, but what I promise the people of our community and the people of Cabell County is that everyone who walks into my courtroom will have their day in court, all “Everyone will have the opportunity to tell me anything they think I need to know,” Dixon says.

Ultimately, voters will have the final say on who the next Cabell County Family Court judge will be. Early voting has already begun and in-person voting for the primary election will take place on May 14, 2024.