County Commissioner Is Arraigned, Wants Trial Before Election - WTRF 7 News Sports Weather - Wheeling Steubenville

Belmont County Commissioner Matt Coffland was arraigned on one charge of assault on a peace officer, a fourth degree felony.

He entered a plea of not guilty.

It stemmed from an alleged incident July 20 at Jamboree In The Hills, when he reportedly lobbed a bottle at a liquor control agent.

Coffland sat in court quietly, but his defense attorney, Pat Cassidy, had a lot to say.

First, he told Judge Jennifer Sargus he wants his client's trial to be held prior to the election, when Coffland is running for re-election as a county commissioner.

Judge Sargus reminded him that she is not the judge in this case, that she was simply handling the arraignment for visiting Retired Judge Lenton Lewis.

Second, Cassidy wants his client not to have the standard bond conditions that are usually attached to a felony including a curfew, random drug testing and a ban on going into bars.

"This imposes some very severe restrictions on Mr. Coffland who is a public official who has to respond to things possibly 24/7 for example, and it has a curfew!" argued Cassidy.

Judge Sargus noted that those particular bond conditions were not imposed in this case at the county court level so they will not be imposed at this level.

Since she is not the judge in this case, she said she is not making any substantive changes.

"However the judge that is assigned to hear the case may address any modification therein," Sargus noted.

Under his bond conditions, Coffland is not permitted to drink alcohol, but he can enter his own bar, the Tiger Pub.

Coffland remains out on $5,175 surety bond, his pretrial is Sept. 17 and his trial is tentatively set for Nov. 7.