US court: recusal required in Massey Energy case

WASHINGTON, June 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a state judge should have disqualified himself from an appeal of a $50 million jury verdict against Massey Energy Co MEE.N because its chief executive officer had been a major campaign donor.

By a 5-4 vote, the justices ruled against Harman Mining Corp and held that a West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals judge should have removed himself from deciding the case because the Massey executive had spent $3 million to help him get elected to the court.

"We find that, in all the circumstances of this case, due process requires recusal," Justice Anthony Kennedy concluded for the court majority. (Reporting by James Vicini; Editing by Brian Moss)