The Path to the Bench
Judge Kirkpatrick did not just stumble into the legal profession. His journey started in a four room schoolhouse in Fayette County and led him all the way to a career spanning 50 years in law. As a young boy, a quarter and a ten cent bag of popcorn at the Mount Hope movie theater provided him with a vision for his future. Watching Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird sparked a lifelong desire to ensure everyone was treated equally and fairly under the law. After decades as a defense lawyer and a circuit court judge, he still holds onto that moral compass, even when the cases get tough and the stories get heavy.
“I saw the movie To Kill a Mockingbird and I was just enthralled. It changed my life in the sense that I decided right then that I wanted to become a lawyer. I wanted to be a defense lawyer and to provide service to everyone and make sure that everyone was treated equally and fairly across the board.”
Order in the Court (And Worldwide)
Presiding over a high profile case like the Natalie Cochran trial is no easy feat, especially when Court TV decides to stream it from gavel to gavel. The Judge was initially skeptical that people would want to watch the boring parts of a trial, but he soon realized that the world was tuning in. From tiny joystick controlled cameras to viewers in Scotland asking what a sausage biscuit is, the experience was a whirlwind. Despite the national spotlight and the pressure of a three week trial, he kept his cool, even when his sons were texting him to drink more coffee so he wouldn’t look sleepy on camera.
“What people don’t realize is that not only was this trial filmed nationwide, it was worldwide. People in other countries were watching it. We had people in England and Scotland and Australia and they would contact my office and say that they were watching it.”
Beyond the Evidence
You might think a judge only cares about cold, hard facts, but Judge Kirkpatrick has a deep appreciation for the weird side of West Virginia. He grew up reading about the Mothman in the local paper and still owns a first edition of The Mothman Prophecies. He even shares a chilling theory about the famous Sodder children disappearance, suggesting a connection to local organizations and historical timing that most people have never considered. Perhaps most surprisingly, the Judge admits he has seen a ghost himself, a mysterious “Lady in Red” who used to haunt the back pews of a neighboring courtroom.
“The ghost was in Judge Hutchinson’s courtroom and it was the so-called lady in red. You could see at certain times during the day a red figure that resembled a woman sitting in the back bench of his courtroom. I saw it.”
Want to Hear the Full Story?
If you want to hear more about the Judge’s wild theory on the Sodder children or see the “jolly demeanor” that made him a fan favorite on Court TV, you have to see the full interview. It is a masterclass in Appalachian history, legal wisdom, and a little bit of the paranormal. Grab your own sausage biscuit and get ready for a legendary conversation. Watch the original video to see the legend in action!
