WHEELING - A national effort to repeal Castle Doctrine laws in 26 states is falling on deaf ears in West Virginia. State Senate President Jeffrey Kessler, D-Marshall, who authored the law as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2008, said the statute codifies West Virginia's long-standing common-law tradition of residents' right of self defense. "I don't see any appetite in the Legislature to revisit our existing Castle Doctrine," he said. Reviewing West Virginia's Castle Doctrine law, Ohio County Prosecutor Scott Smith is opposed to any effort to have the law repealed or watered down. Kessler's comments are in response to a May 23 mailing to all West Virginia legislators and to 4,000 lawmakers in 25 other states, including Ohio, by the Second Chance on Shoot First campaign asking for repeal or reform of existing laws.