By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
Tribune Managing Editor
KEYSER – Still in the process of gathering information, Mineral County Prosecuting Attorney Jay Courrier asked Friday that the embezzlement case against former Piedmont town clerk Linda Butler be scheduled for the next court term in January.
Butler is charged with embezzling an estimated $36,022 from the Town of Piedmont, and was indicted by a Grand Jury on Sept. 1.
At Butler's first appearance before Chief Judge Phil Jordan on Sept. 22, her attorney, Dan James, told the judge that the police report filed as evidence in the case was so vague that he didn't see how either he or Courrier could proceed with the case.
“We have two pages from the State Police; it's a cover sheet basically,” James said at the time, adding that the report consists of “one paragraph, several canceled checks, and some customers' names appearing here and there.
“To say it's inchoate is being generous,” he said.
Friday, Courrier said he had been attempting to get additional information from the auditor who had gone over the town's books.
“The auditor indicated that everything he had was somewhere in the state auditor's office in Charleston,” he said, adding that when he called that office, “they assured me the stuff was there; they just have to find the person who has it.”
Courrier said he also has a computer disk with information on the case gathered by the West Virginia State Police, but he had been unable to open it on his computer.
Prior to Butler's 10:45 a.m. court appearance Friday, James and Courrier met briefly in the jury room and agreed, James said, to extend the case until the next court term.
“I don't expect it to be much longer,” Courrier said.
Jordan set the next court appearance for 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20.
Butler resigned from the town clerk's position in August 2006. She was initially charged when she turned herself in to authorities in November 2008, and was released on $2,500 bond. She remains out on bond.
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By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
Tribune Managing Editor
KEYSER – Still in the process of gathering information, Mineral County Prosecuting Attorney Jay Courrier asked Friday that the embezzlement case against former Piedmont town clerk Linda Butler be scheduled for the next court term in January.
Butler is charged with embezzling an estimated $36,022 from the Town of Piedmont, and was indicted by a Grand Jury on Sept. 1.
At Butler's first appearance before Chief Judge Phil Jordan on Sept. 22, her attorney, Dan James, told the judge that the police report filed as evidence in the case was so vague that he didn't see how either he or Courrier could proceed with the case.
“We have two pages from the State Police; it's a cover sheet basically,” James said at the time, adding that the report consists of “one paragraph, several canceled checks, and some customers' names appearing here and there.
“To say it's inchoate is being generous,” he said.
Friday, Courrier said he had been attempting to get additional information from the auditor who had gone over the town's books.
“The auditor indicated that everything he had was somewhere in the state auditor's office in Charleston,” he said, adding that when he called that office, “they assured me the stuff was there; they just have to find the person who has it.”
Courrier said he also has a computer disk with information on the case gathered by the West Virginia State Police, but he had been unable to open it on his computer.
Prior to Butler's 10:45 a.m. court appearance Friday, James and Courrier met briefly in the jury room and agreed, James said, to extend the case until the next court term.
“I don't expect it to be much longer,” Courrier said.
Jordan set the next court appearance for 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20.
Butler resigned from the town clerk's position in August 2006. She was initially charged when she turned herself in to authorities in November 2008, and was released on $2,500 bond. She remains out on bond.
