Voters re-elect W.Va. sheriff facing January trial - WBOY.com: Clarksburg, Morgantown: News, Sports, Weather

Voters re-elect W.Va. sheriff facing January trial

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  • Thursday, May 23 2013 3:47 AM EDT2013-05-23 07:47:50 GMT
    Scattered showers and storms still possible tonight into Thursday as a cold front slowly makes it's way over West Virginia.  Some of the storms this evening could be strong.  Lows tonight drop into the
    Who'll Stop the Rain?
  • Thursday, May 23 2013 12:17 AM EDT2013-05-23 04:17:00 GMT
    Residents are worried about above-ground sewer lines that were exposed, where sewage was being dropped directly into a nearby creek.
    Residents are worried about above-ground sewer lines that were exposed, where sewage was being dropped directly into a nearby creek.
  • Wednesday, May 22 2013 10:21 PM EDT2013-05-23 02:21:52 GMT
    Buffalo Wild Wings in Bridgeport is helping out the Lt. James W. Hotsinpiller Jr. and Deputy U.S. Marshal Derek W. Hotsinpiller Memorial Scholarship Fund.
    Buffalo Wild Wings in Bridgeport is helping out the Lt. James W. Hotsinpiller Jr. and Deputy U.S. Marshal Derek W. Hotsinpiller Memorial Scholarship Fund.

CHARLES TOWN (AP) — A West Virginia sheriff facing civil and criminal trials next year for allegedly beating a bank robbery suspect has been re-elected this week by a margin of about 400 votes.

But the outcome of Jefferson County Sheriff Robert Shirley's January trial in U.S. District Court in Martinsburg will determine whether he's able to serve his full four-year term.

Shirley is accused of kicking and stomping on Mark Daniel Haines after a December 2010 police chase.

Shirley has denied any wrongdoing and vows he'll be vindicated. Haines, meanwhile, is serving a 19-year sentence for bank robbery.

Media outlets say Shirley narrowly held onto his seat with just under 51 percent of the vote this week.

The 61-year-old Democrat edged out Republican challenger Earl Ballenger.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.