Both Mingo County Circuit Judge
Michael Thornsbury, who is charged with violating a man’s Constitutional
rights, and Mingo County Commissioner David Baisden, who is accused of
attempted extortion, will be back in U.S.
Magistrate Court
U.S. Attorney Booth
Goodwin talked about the arrests on Friday’s MetroNews
“Talkline.” He said the corruption charges against Thornsbury and Baisden
should send a message to Mingo
County
“People see that something is being
done and generally it causes further developments,” said Goodwin. He said
similar investigations in the past have cleaned up politics in other parts
of West Virginia
“I would have to believe that, if
we are successful in proving these charges, the same will occur in Mingo County
Mingo County GOP Chair Russell
Deskins said he is grateful both Baisden and Thornsbury have been
charged. “Thank goodness for those State Police guys and the FBI and the
people that came in here and took up for us and were willing to get this thing
straightened up,” said Deskins.
“We’ll clean this courthouse out
and get this thing straightened up. I pray that they do that.”
Soon after Thornsbury’s indictment
was unsealed on Thursday, the state Supreme Court suspended Thornsbury
without pay and suspended his law license pending the outcome of the criminal
case against him.
Thornsbury allegedly made several
attempts to go after a Mingo
County
“It’s just alarming and it’s
disgusting and it’s a tawdry tale,” said state Supreme Court Administrator
Steve Canterbury. “There’s no denying that it’s a black eye, but the body
of the judiciary is whole and the black eye will heal and we’ll get through
this.”
Thornsbury, who has denied the
charges, was the only circuit judge in Mingo County
Retired Cabell County Circuit Judge
John Cummings and former state Supreme Court Justice Thomas McHugh were chosen
to fill in there temporarily. They started their work on Friday morning.
