Joseph Goodwin

Joseph Goodwin

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Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia

Tenure

1995 - Present

Years in position

29

Education

Bachelor's

West Virginia University, 1965

Law

West Virginia University College of Law, 1970

Personal

Birthplace

Ripley, W.Va.

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Joseph Goodwin is an Article III federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. He joined the court in 1995 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton. Goodwin served as chief judge of the court from 2007 to 2012.

Early life and education

Born in Ripley, West Virginia, Goodwin graduated from West Virginia University with his bachelor's degree in 1965. Goodwin served in the U.S. Army on active duty from 1965 to 1967. Goodwin obtained his J.D. degree from West Virginia University School of Law in 1970.

Professional career

Goodwin was a private practice attorney in the State of West Virginia from 1970 until his appointment to the federal bench in 1995. Goodwin also served as a city attorney for the City of Ripley, West Virginia, from 1971 to 1972, and as a municipal judge from 1972 to 1973.

Judicial career

Southern District of West Virginia

On the recommendation of West Virginia U.S. Senator Robert Byrd, Goodwin was nominated to the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia by President Bill Clinton on February 28, 1995, to a seat vacated by Robert Staker. Goodwin was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 8, 1995, and received commission on May 10, 1995.

Noteworthy cases

Transvaginal mesh multidistrict litigation case (2014)

See also: United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia (In Re Ethicon, Inc., Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2327)

In January 2014, in a decision which hinged upon the regulatory process involved, Judge Goodwin ruled that the manner in which Johnson & Johnson's transvaginal mesh product came to market could not be introduced as evidence in the multidistrict litigation case being heard in his court as it could confuse the jury.

As background, transvaginal mesh was used to treat women with pelvic and urinary problems, but some implants were allegedly defective and caused the women to experience serious health problems. In the Ethicon cases, Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) Gynecare TVT product bypassed full pre-market Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review because it was made out of the same material, polypropylene, used in another J&J Ethicon division product that had already gone through full FDA review. The FDA's full pre-market review typically took about 1,200 hours, whereas the agency's review of Gynecare TVT took only 20 hours.

In his decision, Judge Goodwin noted that focusing on the FDA review process involved in the case "pose[d] a substantial risk of misleading the jury and confusing the issue." J&J's Ethicon division argued that because polypropylene was approved and deemed safe by the FDA in the past for another product, its use in the Gynecare TVT product was also safe, thus barring plaintiffs from claiming it was defective. As Judge Goodwin wrote, however, Gynecare TVT "is a different product, used in a different manner, for a different purpose," and a discussion of its route to market could unnecessarily confuse a jury hearing the case.

See also

• United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia

External links

• Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Joseph Robert Goodwin"
• The Robing Room, "Hon. Joseph R. Goodwin," accessed March 15, 2014

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia 1995-Present	Succeeded by -

West Virginia courts

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Federal courts:

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia

State courts:

Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia • West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals • West Virginia Circuit Courts • West Virginia Family Courts • West Virginia Magistrate Courts

State resources:

Courts in West Virginia • West Virginia judicial elections • Judicial selection in West Virginia