WINTON – The news wasn’t good for a veteran Hertford County Magistrate.

This morning (Friday), Judge Robert Hobgood made his ruling in an administrative hearing involving Leonard Mobley, terminating the county’s Senior Magistrate.

It is not known at this time if Mobley plans to appeal Judge Hobgood’s decision.

Mobley stood accused of striking Jerome Cross, an Ahoskie man arrested for trespassing on Jan. 14. Following his arrest, Cross was taken to the Ahoskie Police Department where Mobley was the Magistrate on duty.

The administrative hearing was arranged by District 6B Chief Judge Alfred Kwasikpui, who supervises Mobley as well as all Magistrates in the three-county judicial district. That hearing was held on Thursday in Hertford County Superior Court.

The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald will have more on Thursday’s proceedings as well as Judge Hobgood’s ruling in Saturday’s print edition as well as online.