Kanawha County Prosecutor Mark
Plants said Monday he wants to go to trial on two domestic-related misdemeanor
criminal charges.
Plants has been looking at pretrial
diversion options the last few months with the possibility of having the
charges dismissed but his attorney announced Monday that due to recent
developments they hope to go to trial.
The Kanawha County Commission is
scheduled to vote at its Thursday night meeting to file a motion with the state
Supreme Court to ask that a three-judge panel be appointed to consider removing
Plants from office. Commission President Kent Carper who has limited his
comments on the criminal charges against Plants had a brief comment Monday.
“Everyone is entitled to a
presumption of innocence,” Carper said.
The county commission has heavily
criticized the ongoing costs of a special prosecutor because Plants’ office
cannot prosecutor domestic violence cases as long as he faces the charges. The
arrangement has already cost approximately $90,000.
Plants allegedly violated a
domestic-violence order filed by his ex-wife that was to keep him away from her
and the couple’s two sons. Plants was later charged with domestic battery after
using a belt on his son when he was disciplining him. The belt left a bruise.
Plants had been approved to attend
a 32-week batterer’s intervention program in Putnam County
The special magistrate in the
Plants case has scheduled a hearing for Aug. 27 in Princeton .
The prosecutor’s attorney Jim Cagle says Plants wants to return to “square one”
in the case.
