KALAMAZOO, MI (WTVB) – A pre-trial hearing was held in Kalamazoo Tuesday by the State of Michigan’s Attorney Discipline Board after seven allegations of sexual harassment were recently filed against Branch County Prosecutor Ralph Kimble.
As a licensed attorney in Michigan, Kimble is subject to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the Attorney Discipline Board.
Kimble, who has served as Branch County Prosecutor since 2013, has denied the allegations against him.
Among the allegations was an incident in the lobby of the Friend of the Court office in September 2017 involving Kimble and Friend of the Court Director Lona Julien.
It was claimed that Kimble behaved “in a threatening, intimidating and domineering manner to the point that FOC parties became uncomfortable and scared.” Kimble claimed in his response, “I never yelled at her. I never threatened her or anyone else in her office. I never swore or used inappropriate language while I was addressing her and I did not have “clenched teeth”.”
The Board is expected to consider all seven of the allegations sometime this fall. An exact date has not been scheduled yet.
Kimble told the three person panel on Tuesday that he plans to call 10 witnesses.
The witness list includes Judges Bill O’Grady, David Coyle and Brent Weigle as well as Assistant Prosecutors Scott Smith and Valerie White.
WWMT-TV reports that while Michigan Grievance Commission Administrator Alan Gershel expected the trial to last only a couple of days, Kimble expected it to last four or five days.
