CLINTON COUNTY — Clinton County has a race for the open state’s attorney’s seat after former candidate Janice Pulver-Lewis filed the required number of petition signatures to be placed on the ballot as a Democrat.

A Beckemeyer attorney, Pulver-Lewis announced her candidacy earlier this month to run against Republican nominee Douglas Gruenke for Clinton County State’s Attorney in the November 3, 2020 election.

Pulver-Lewis ran unsuccessfully in 2016 against incumbent Republican State’s Attorney John Hudspeth who is not seeking reelection this year.

But as she moves forward with her campaign, she has a second battle on her hands — her son Andrew Lewis is facing three criminal felony charges in Clinton County of Class 1 criminal sexual assault by force.

The case was filed in 2017 following an alleged incident involving graduating high school seniors in Germantown.

Lewis has remained free on bond since shortly after his arrest but the case has languished in court since January 2019 when a new judge was assigned to the case.

Three judges in the circuit have recused themselves from the case.

Current Clinton County State’s Attorney John Hudspeth placed the case in the hands of the Appellate Prosecutor’s Office but only after he took it before a grand jury.

According to Defense Attorney Tim Huyett, the case has had problems with discovery of evidence from the prosecution and that the defense has even called State’s Attorney John Hudspeth to testify in the case.

We’ve reached out to the Appellate Prosecutor’s Office for an explanation for why the case has not seen any activity in nearly 18 months and other irregularities in the prosecution of the case but they have not yet returned our call.

Pulver-Lewis says that if elected Clinton County State’s Attorney, she would have no involvement in her son’s case.