Mingo County, West Virginia circuit judge Michael Thornsbury has been indicted on two counts of conspiracy. He is accused of having an affair with his secretary and attempting to frame the secretary's innocent husband for several crimes over a five-year period, including drug possession, larceny and assault. None of the judge's illegal schemes against the innocent husband, Robert Woodruff, worked.
Another Mingo County official, commissioner Dave Baisden, has been indicted on charges of extortion in an unrelated case.
You may recall that in April 2013 Mingo County's sheriff, Eugene Crum, was assassinated.
In february 2013, a local woman was indicted for tipping people off about pending indictments while she served on the county's grand jury.
In 1988, former sheriff Johnie Owens was convicted of selling his office for $ 100,000.
Clearly, corruption is everywhere. However, more than average media interest is generated about Mingo County because of its history and reputation for being the home of the legendary feud between the Hatfield and McCoy families.
Mingo County is a coalfields community of about 27,000 residents on West Virginia's southern border with Kentucky. It has a long history of violence and government corruption, and it earned the nickname of "bloody Mingo" when unionizing miners and security agents hired by coal companies fought in the early 20th century
Thornsbury, age 57, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. In the meantime the West Virginia State Supreme Court has suspended him from office without pay as well as suspending his law license.
[www.charlesjeromeware.com, www.huffingtonpost.com/08-15-2013]
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