By Associated Press
Birmingham, AL – A judge has dismissed the indictment charging a Jefferson County judge with 56 counts of tax evasion and ethics violations.
Claud Neilson, the retired Marengo County judge assigned to the case, said in his order that the indictment against Circuit Judge Dan King was not returned in open court as required by the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure and state law.
Judge King was indicted in April on 56 counts of breaking the state's ethics laws and tax evasion. He pleaded not guilty.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Chris Bence, a spokesman for Attorney General Troy King, said the indictment was returned in open court and complied with the law.
Bence said the attorney general's office plans to move forward with the case and will explore all options, including re-presenting it for another grand jury.
Dan King was suspended with pay after the indictment was issued in April. He said after the indictment was dismissed that he was looking forward to getting back to work.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)