Kanawha County Circuit Judge Duke
Bloom has a hearing scheduled Tuesday morning on the City of Charleston’s
motion to remove county Prosecutor Mark Plants and his office from prosecuting
city domestic violence-related cases.
The city is concerned any cases
handled by Plants while he himself faces two misdemeanor charges could put
those cases in jeopardy.
Judge Bloom has ordered Plants to
show why there’s no conflict. The hearing is set for 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Kanawha County Commission President
Kent Carper and others await a decision on Plants from the state Supreme Court
which is considering the Office of Disciplinary Counsel’s recommendation. The
ODC says Plants should be suspended or taken off cases involving women and
children.
Plants filed a response to the
ODC’s recommendations last Friday calling them an “overreach and premature.”
Plants is charged with two misdemeanors. He allegedly violated a domestic
violence protection order and allegedly committed domestic battery when he
spanked his son with a belt.
