| State Supreme Court Chief Justice Spike Maynard says his friendship with Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship has not affected his views on Massey cases before the court.
Since Maynard's election in 1996, the justice has helped decide at least eight cases in the Supreme Court against Massey Coal.
Maynard voted in Massey's favor in all eight.
"Like most judges, I don't reward my friends or punish my enemies from the bench," Maynard said in a press release, following the release of photographs showing him on vacation in Monaco with Blankenship.
Chief Justice "Spike" Maynard (left) vacation-
ing with Massey CEO Don Blankenship in Monaco
About thirty photos have been released showing Maynard and Blankenship enjoying each others company.
The filing says "ten of the photographs also depict, in addition to Chief Justice Maynard and/or Mr. Blankenship, two females apparently traveling with them as companions." Blankenship and Maynard are both divorced.
The Supreme Court just overturned a WV court decision which awarded a bankrupt coal company $76 million, although the court acknowledged wrongdoing by Massey, but reversing the decision for technical reasons.
Harman Mining Company owner Hugh Caperton has filed a request before the Supreme Court for Chief Justice Maynard to recuse himself from his case. claiming "evidence (of) the appearance of impropriety."
That appeal has now been expanded to include Justice Brent Benjamin, because Blankenship financed his campaign three years ago, involving contributions of three million dollars.
Benjamin has declined to recuse himself.
Harman Coal and its owner Hugh Caperton originally sued Massey nine years ago, the lower court said Massey was guilty of wrongdoing.
Harman won the case in circuit court, but lost it 3-2 on Massey's appeal at the state Supreme Court last fall. | 
