The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office has dropped a second set of sexual abuse charges that a former Greenwood Catholic friar was supposed to face in a trial Tuesday.
Michael Ward, a special assistant attorney general, submitted the order to the Leflore County Circuit Court Monday, meaning the trial of Paul West, a former teacher and principal at St. Francis of Assisi School, has been scrapped, Circuit Clerk Elmus Stockstill said. Judge Ashley Hines approved the order.
West has been accused of sexually abusing three of his former students at the grade school, La Jarvis Love and his cousins, brothers Joshua and Raphael Love, in Greenwood in the 1990s.
West, 62, was convicted of sexual battery and gratification of lust against La Jarvis Love, who is now 39, during a trial last month and was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
West’s trial scheduled Tuesday involved allegations of sexual abuse of Joshua Love, 38, to which West pleaded not guilty.
Those charges were dropped because West had been found guilty of abusing La Jarvis Love, according to the order.
West has not been criminally charged with abusing Raphael Love.
