KANSAS CITY, Kan. —

A visiting judge has denied a motion by prosecutors seeking to disqualify all Wyandotte County judges from the criminal case against sheriff’s deputy Richard Fatherley.

Fatherley is charged in connection with the death of Charles Adair , who died last July in the Wyandotte County Detention Center. Advertisement

In an order filed Monday, the judge ruled that the State of Kansas’ affidavit of disqualification was legally insufficient under Kansas law.

The request argued that Wyandotte County judges could not be impartial because they rely on sheriff’s deputies for courtroom security and inmate transport.

The judge rejected that claim, calling it speculative and unsupported by facts, arguing that prosecutors also depend on the sheriff’s office and that prior ruling

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