INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- An assistant professor of criminal justice at West Virginia State University is taking his classroom expertise to the courtroom.

Michael Kane has been appointed a municipal court judge by the town of Gilbert. In the part-time position, he will hear cases involving traffic citations and petty crimes. He said he will conduct court every-other-week.

Kane teaches ethics in criminal justice, and he says his experience on the bench will carry over into the classroom. Kane has experience in other aspects of the criminal justice system, including police work in two other states and work at the Mount Olive Correctional Complex.

Kane begins his first day on the bench Nov. 15.