A panel that reviews applicants for judicial vacancies has narrowed a field of nine applicants for a vacant judge’s seat in Kanawha County to four candidates and submitted them to West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice. The seat was left open when veteran Judge Charles King passed away. The four applicants submitted by the judicial vacancy commission are: Maryclaire Akers, Kenneth D. Ballard, Christine H. Fox and Benjamin M. Mishoe. Senior Status Judge Dan O’Hanlon has been temporarily serving in Kanawha County Circuit Court since King passed away. Before he became a judge, King also served as Kanawha County prosecutor.