THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 26, 1995 TAG: 9504260490
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
DATELINE: CAMDEN LENGTH: Short : 29 lines
A Camden County magistrate will appear in court May 4 to answer a formal complaint seeking his removal.
The 10 a.m. hearing in Camden County Superior Court was set last week by Senior Resident Superior Court Judge J. Richard Parker, according to documents filed Monday with the Camden court clerk.
Magistrate Sterling Lee Gregory is accused of ``negligent actions'' by the mother of 24-year-old Tracy Dawn Crafton, who was shot to death last month near Elizabeth City.
Crafton apparently had appeared before Gregory two days before her death, seeking a warrant for the arrest of her boyfriend, Richard S. ``Ricky'' Hogarth, who, she said, was abusive.
A warrant was not served; Hogarth was arrested a week later, after Crafton was killed.
Gregory has declined to comment before the hearing. Crafton's mother, Florence N. Forbes of Shiloh, said she filed the complaint to find out why Hogarth was not arrested after her daughter swore out the warrant. by CNB