Judge Carl is a native of Springfield in Hampshire County. He graduated from Hampshire High School in 1980, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in 1984, and earned a law degree from Capital University Law School in 1987.

Judge Carl was appointed to the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit (Hampshire, Hardy, and Pendleton Counties) in 2013, was elected in 2014, and re-elected for a full eight-year term in 2016. Judge Carl served a full seven-year term as judge in the Business Court Division from 2015-2022. He is also the supervising drug court judge of the South Branch Valley Drug Court and has served by temporary assignments as a justice on the Supreme Court of Appeals. He is a past president of the West Virginia Judicial Association.

He started practicing law in Romney with his grandfather, William. H. Ansel, Jr., in 1987, and this firm grew into Carl, Keaton, Frazer & Milleson, PLLC. While engaged in the general practice of law for over 25 years, he was a criminal, civil, domestic, and estate litigator. Judge Carl was also general counsel for the Bank of Romney, where he served as a director for more than 20 years. He was president of the South Branch Valley Bar Association from 2006 until his appointment to the bench.

Judge Carl coached youth basketball for many years and is a member of the Hampshire County Athletic Hall of Fame. He resides in Romney with his wife, Lisa. They have three daughters and two granddaughters.