Four judges have recused themselves from the case of Daniel Acker, Jr., a former teacher accused of sexually abusing students. They say it is because Acker's father is on the Shelby County Commission.
The county commission funds the district attorney's office, so that could be seen as a conflict of interest. Shelby County District Attorney Robby Owens says he stepped down from the case because he did not want the trial to seem tainted since he's friends with acker's father.
"Our job is to avoid the appearance of an impropriety and I didn't want whatever occurred in the end result of that particular case for it to appear that I know and like his daddy or the funding that comes from the county commission had some type of bearing on the merits of that case," said Owens.
Owens says a district attorney and judge from another county will oversee the case.
Acker faces seven charges of sex abuse. Authorities say he confessed to molesting more than 20 girls during his 25 years in the Shelby County School System.
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