(CENTREVILLE) – The St. Joseph County Commission will not take any action against County Prosecutor John McDonough.

During Wednesday's Executive Committee Meeting, the Commissioners discussed a letter that was presented to them July 20. The citizens who submitted the the letter were asking the Commission to remove McDonough as Prosecutor. The letter sited McDonough's habitual lack of attendance at his workplace for the last several years, which has resulted in a catastrophic backlog of criminal cases, along with his arrest on May 11 for alleged drunk driving.

County Administrator Teresa Doehring spoke with Swick Broadcasting and said that McDonough and Chief Assistant Prosecutor Josh Robare both attended the Zoom meeting and answered questions from the Commissioners. McDonough says he is still not back at work after being in the hospital for several weeks, and that Robare is running the office in his absence. Robare says he and the rest of the staff are working on the case load and everything is where it's supposed to be.

McDonough says he hopes to be back at work by early September. Until that time he can be reached by e-mail or by cell phone.

Doehring says the Commission was satisfied with McDonough and Robare's answers and feel confident the Prosecutor's Office is being run in the proper manner. Doehring also says the Commissioners do not have the authority to remove McDonough under Michigan law. A decision of that nature would have to come from the Attorney General's office.

McDonough, who was elected Prosecutor in 2008, is being challenged by David Marvin for the Republican nomination in the August 4 Primary election.