SENATE RESOLUTION Number 104

(By Senators Blair, Trump, Carmichael (Mr. President), Azinger, Beach, Boley, Boso, Clements, Cline, Facemire, Ferns, Gaunch, Hall, Jeffries, Karnes, Mann, Maroney, Maynard, Miller, Mullins, Ojeda, Palumbo, Plymale, Prezioso, Romano, Rucker, Smith, Stollings, Swope, Sypolt, Takubo, Unger, Weld and Woelfel)

[Introduced June 14, 2017]

Memorializing the life of the Honorable John C. Yoder, former member of the West Virginia Senate, former District Judge of the Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit and dedicated public servant.

Whereas, The Honorable John C. Yoder was born January 9, 1951, in Newton, Kansas, the son of Gideon and Stella Yoder; and

Whereas, The Honorable John C. Yoder received his bachelor’s degree from Chapman University in 1972, where he double-majored in government and economics; his law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1975; and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago in 1976, where he studied economics under Nobel-prize winning economist Milton Friedman. He was also a graduate of several programs at the National Judicial College and the National College of Juvenile Justice; and

Whereas, The Honorable John C. Yoder was an assistant professor of business at Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana, from 1975 to 1976 and taught U. S. Government at Bethel College, in Newton, Kansas, from 1976 to 1978; and

Whereas, The Honorable John C. Yoder served as a District Court Judge in Newton, Kansas, from 1977 to 1980; and

Whereas, The Honorable John C. Yoder served at the United States Supreme Court from 1980 to 1983 as Supreme Court Fellow and Special Assistant to the Chief Justice; and

Whereas, The Honorable John C. Yoder served as a director for the United States Department of Justice from 1983 to 1985, where he set up the then-new Asset Forfeiture Office; and

Whereas, The Honorable John C. Yoder practiced law in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, for twenty-three years and was counsel to Burch & Cronauer, P.C., in Washington, D. C., from 1991 to 2000. In his law practice he concentrated on complex civil litigation, constitutional law, civil RICO, appellate law, land use and employment discrimination; and

Whereas, The Honorable John C. Yoder was elected to two terms in the West Virginia Senate, in 1992 and 2004, where he served on the Committees on the Judiciary, Government Organization, Banking and Insurance, Confirmations, Labor, Finance, Small Business, Energy, Industry and Mining, Interstate Cooperation, Natural Resources and Enrolled Bills; and

Whereas, The Honorable John C. Yoder was elected to the bench as a District Judge in 2008 in the Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit (Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan Counties); and

Whereas, With a legal career spanning more than four decades, the Honorable John C. Yoder was licensed to practice law in the Supreme Court of the United States, United States Court of Appeals’ Fourth Circuit, District of Columbia Circuit and Sixth Circuit; Federal District Courts in Kansas, Indiana, the District of Columbia, West Virginia and the Northern District of Ohio; United States Tax Court; and in the states of West Virginia, Kansas, Indiana and the District of Columbia; and

Whereas, From Kansas to California, Indiana to Washington D. C. and, more especially, in our beloved State of West Virginia, the Honorable John C. Yoder’s distinguished public service touched the lives of many generations and we will be forever grateful for his service; and

Whereas, Sadly, the Honorable John C. Yoder passed away on June 9, 2017, bringing an end to an extraordinary life of public service and leaving behind a host of family and friends, all of whom will miss him dearly; and

Whereas, It is fitting, that on this day, the Senate pay tribute to the life and legacy of the Honorable John C. Yoder; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate:

That the Senate hereby memorializes the life of the Honorable John C. Yoder, former member of the West Virginia Senate, former District Judge of the Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit and dedicated public servant; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Senate extends its most sincere and heart-felt condolences to the family of the Honorable John C. Yoder; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the family of the Honorable John C. Yoder.