BECKLEY, W.Va. — Raleigh County Prosecutor Ben Hatfield has been named in a domestic violence emergency protective order.
A woman describing herself as a “sexual partner” sought the petition last week in Raleigh County.
The case was first reported by WCHS-TV.
Court documents indicate a magistrate originally denied the petition but it was appealed to a Family Court judge or overturned the decision and granted the protective order.
“The initial petition seeking DVPO presented clear and convincing evidence of domestic violence and reasonable fear of the respondent and that the magistrate was clearly wrong in finding otherwise,” Clay-Nicholas Family Court Judge Harley Stollings wrote.
A final hearing on the petition is scheduled for Wednesday.
Beckley attorney Brandon Steele, a member of the House of Delegates, represents Hatfield and vehemently denied the charges when contacted by WCHS-TV.
“The allegations are false and baseless. We have a mountain of evidence that proves there was no basis for this and we will prove that in court on Wednesday and it will be dismissed,” Steele said.