A federal judge has denied a request from a suspended Pike County circuit judge to dismiss the charges against him.
Howard Keith Hall was indicted on federal charges of mail fraud and theft of government funds in April.
He is accused of paying someone more than $440,000 in salary and benefits for little to no work as an assistant county attorney.
Hall made four arguments to dismiss the indictment but the judge’s ruling said “he failed to show that the indictment is not sufficient.”