A majority of a substitute panel of the West Virginia Supreme Court, assembled to review allegations of improper spending on the part of its justices, has ruled that Chief Justice Margaret Workman cannot be impeached by state lawmakers.

Acting Chief Justice James A. Matish, a Circuit Court judge from Harrison County, and two other acting justices, Rudolph Murenksky II of McDowell County and Ronald Wilson of Brooke County, ruled on Oct. 11 that the Senate overstepped its authority when it moved to impeach Workman, who was accused of causing senior judges to be overpaid.