High court rules against state judge

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Supreme Court has found a state counterpart acted improperly when he refused to remove himself from a 2006 civil appeal, despite having received financial support during the campaign for his seat from the CEO of the key defendant.

West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Justice Brent Benjamin cast the deciding vote in favor of that company.

The justices ruled 5-4 that a perceived conflict of interest should have led to the judge's recusal.

"In all the circumstances of this case, due process requires recusal," wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy.

The issue has become a touchstone of a growing political debate over whether judicial election races - which have become more expensive and contentious in recent years - erode public confidence in the legal system. The case itself has attracted nationwide attention and was the basis for author John Grisham's 2008 bestseller "The Appeal."