Panelists talked about the impact of Caperton v. Massey Coal on the recusal of state judges. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June 2009 on circumstances under which judges should recuse themselves from a case. Following their discussion, panelists responded to audience members' questions.

Caperton v. Massey Coal resulted from the refusal of acting West Virginia Chief Justice Brent Benjamin to recuse himself from a multimillion-dollar appeal involving his major campaign contributor, Don Blankenship, chairman and chief executive officer of Massey Energy Co.

This program was the first panel of a daylong Georgetown Law Center and Aspen Institute event on state courts and recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings.