COVINGTON — It was supposed to be a hearing to determine a trial date in the Stephen Craven capital murder case. It ended up being a one-hour debate about a potential conflict of interest within the new administration of Commonwealth Attorney Bill Crockett.

        The issue is Mr. Crockett's hiring of former public defender Mike Folk as an assistant commonwealth attorney.

        “The court must address the "conflict' before the commonwealth can move forward with the case,” said Kenton County Circuit Judge Patricia Summe.

        Longtime Commonwealth Attorney Don Buring sent a letter to Judge Summe highlighting the conflict just days before he left office. Mr. Buring lost a bitterly contested race in November to Mr. Crockett.

        The letter described a conversation public defender Rebecca Lytle had with Mr. Folk concerning the Craven case.

        Ms. Lytle, who represents one of the three defendants, said there wasn't a conflict. The Frankfort-based attorney said she asked Mr. Folk only about local court procedures. “I didn't talk about anything that wasn't already in the public record,” said Ms. Lytle.

        Judge Summe scheduled a noon hearing on Jan. 23 to further discuss the possible conflict of interest. She requested that all members of the Kenton County public defender's office be present to answer any questions.

        Mr. Crockett told Judge Summe he was ready to move forward with the case, which could become the first capital murder case he prosecutes. Mr. Crockett said Mr. Folk will not prosecute the case and that there isn't a conflict of interest.

        Mr. Craven's wife, Adele, of Edgewood; her reputed lover, Rusty McIntire of Erlanger; and Ronald Pryor of Independence, who allegedly pulled the trigger, all appeared at Monday's hear ing.

        Mr. Craven, 38, was beaten and shot in his basement in July. He had been clubbed four times in the head with a crowbar and shot three times.

        Police say Mr. McIntire, who is married, told officers he and Mrs. Craven wanted to be together, so they planned to pay Mr. Pryor, a former co-worker of Mr. McIntire's, $15,000 to help kill Mr. Craven.

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