Rockingham county attorney Jim Reams arrived in court ready to fight challenge his suspension. But Judge Richard McNamara said such arguments would have to wait for another day.
McNamara told Reams' lawyer he’d need to file a motion for declaratory judgment to challenge Attorney General Joe Fosters power to suspend him.
Outside the court room, Reams’ lawyer, Michael Ramsdell, told reporters the state has yet to supply sufficient grounds to strip an elected official of his authority.
"We don’t actually know what the allegations are, we would like to know what the allegations are. We believe there have to be serious allegations, like that of a crime, for the attorney general to suspend a county attorney."
State and federal investigators, including the FBI are investigating operations at the Rockingham County Attorney's office.
Reams, Deputy County Attorney Tom Reid, and a staffer have been under suspension since last week.
Reams’s next hearing before Judge McNamara is expected to take place in the first week of December.
