Appeals court issues ruling in Barron case

Lowell Barron

An Alabama appeals court has sided with former state Sen. Lowell Barron in his criminal case being prosecuted by the state attorney general's office.  Barron and campaign aide Jill Johnson had been set for trial April 14 in Fort Payne on charges of misusing campaign funds. But the trial got delayed when the attorney general's office appealed a ruling by the trial judge. The judge said the prosecution couldn't present evidence about whether the two defendants had a romantic relationship.  The Court of Criminal Appeals issued an order Thursday saying the appeal should be dismissed because the attorney general tried appealing a non-appealable order. The Montgomery-based court gave the attorney general's office 14 days to show why the appeal shouldn't be dismissed.