A rare petition to remove District Attorney Ted Bell from office may proceed, according to a Dec. 30 court ruling. Special Superior Court Judge William T. Stetzer assigned independent counsel to investigate Bell’s alleged misconduct in delaying the prosecution of church members accused of beating a fellow member “in retaliation for his sexual orientation.”
The petition, known as North Carolina G.S. 7A-66, was filed Dec. 1 in Rutherford County Superior Court by former Word of Faith Fellowship member Matthew Fenner, who said Bell — the top prosecutor for McDowell and Rutherford counties — delayed for eight years the trials of four church members who Fenner said beat him in 2013.
The order does not weigh in on whether the allegations are true, but says a hearing is required to determine if the delay was unwarranted and whether Bell should be removed from office…