MARTINSVILLE, Va. – 4/1/2026 Update:
After an extensive search, Bethany Harrison, the Commonwealth’s Attorney of the City of Lynchburg has agreed to serve as Special Prosecutor for both the Criminal Investigation and the pending Civil Removal Petition.
3/20/2026 Update:
Attorney General Jay Jones has declined to assist Martinsville as a special prosecutor. Martinsville Commonwealth’s Attorney Patrick Flinn had formally requested Attorney General Jones serve as the special prosecutor in the criminal and civil investigations in Martinsville Mayor L.C. Jones.
According to Flinn, the Attorney General’s office declined to get involved due to “staffing shortages and the investigation being beyond the scope of authority of the Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Division of the Attorney General’s Office”.
It comes as Flinn seeks a new special prosecutor to handle the investigations after former special prosecutor and Beford County Commonwealth’s Attorney Wes Nance was appointed to be a Circuit Court Judge.
The Virginia State Police were already involved in investigating now-fired City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides, but need direction from either the Governor, Attorney General or a grand jury to investigate Mayor Jones because he’s an elected official.
From here, Flinn will search for a new special prosecutor. Then that special prosecutor will decide if they want to convene a Grand Jury to decide if VSP should be involved.
Update:
Martinsville Commonwealth’s Attorney Patrick Flinn is requesting Attorney General Jay Jones be appointed Special Prosecutor for “Criminal and Civil cases regarding the former and current City Council for the City of Martinsville, current and former City Administration, the pending removal petition for LC. Jones”.
Additionally, Flinn is requesting Virginia State Police investigate the matters. It comes after the previous special prosecutor for the case, Wes Nance, was appointed as a circuit court judge.
Flinn, however, wants a special prosecutor in more than just the criminal investigation into former city manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides. He’s requested to be moved off the recall petition case against Mayor Jones since the matter was first brought to his desk. Citing concerns of him having a conflict of interest in the case and his perception of the people of Martinsville wanting a third-party investigation, Flinn is now turning to Governor Abigail Spanberger for help.
In an email to 10 News, Flinn writes, “I strongly believe an objective third party must review the allegations in this petition and represent the Commonwealth going forward. Additionally, this petition raises new legal questions regarding statutes of this Commonwealth that the Attorney General is best suited to address.”
Mayor Jones is set to appear in court in June for a jury trial that will decide if he’s allowed to stay on as mayor.
Original:
The political turmoil surrounding Martinsville Mayor L.C. Jones continues to draw attention as the suspended mayor challenges a state law that currently bars him from serving on City Council.
Jones was suspended after receiving a show-cause notice tied to a recall petition filed against him. He was originally scheduled to appear in Martinsville Circuit Court on Feb. 17 for a hearing that would determine whether he should be removed from office. However, Jones requested a jury trial, which pushed the court date to June.
Under Virginia law, Jones cannot return to council while the case is pending. In a new three-page motion filed last week, Jones argues that the law is unconstitutional and violates his due process rights by suspending him from office before a final decision is made. The filing also asks the court to dismiss the show cause order and the counts associated with it. Jones has declined to comment on the suspension but previously told 10 News he believes the recall petition is unwarranted.
Some city leaders say the situation has been surprising. Councilman Aaron Rawls said he expected disciplinary action but was still taken aback by the developments.
“What’s going on here is shocking,” Rawls said. “I knew what he was doing. I expected he would be suspended and removed, but still to see it happen was surprising nonetheless.”
Councilman Rayshaun Gravely has raised concerns about the legal process, saying he believes removing an elected official before the court case is resolved raises broader constitutional questions.
“I think that we are going backwards in America and Virginia to strip a man or woman from their elected position without due process,” Gravely said.
Despite the mayor’s absence, city officials say the impact on daily operations has been limited because the role carries mostly ceremonial duties.
“The mayor doesn’t have any special powers in the city of Martinsville. It’s a ceremonial position,” Rawls said. “So not having an acting mayor, frankly, doesn’t really hurt us.”
Former mayor Gene Teague has been appointed to fill the vacant council seat during Jones’ suspension. Teague said his focus will be helping the city move forward, particularly as council prepares to work on the upcoming budget.
“How do we reduce the cost of government, or how do we at least keep it stable?” Teague said. “When you focus on those issues and not some of the auxiliary issues, I think it gets easier to kind of get along.”
Some residents say they are satisfied with how the situation is being handled so far.
“It’s a lot going on up here that needs to be taken care of,” Martinsville resident Castor Harrison said. “I think they went the right way. They’ve got to pay for their actions. They’ve got to answer to the matter before.”
Jones’ jury trial is currently scheduled for June.