Ex-county prosecutor accused of soliciting murder

TRAVERSE CITY (AP) - A lawyer and ex-county prosecutor in northern Michigan has been charged with solicitation of murder after authorities say he tried to pay a man $20,000 to kill another attorney. Clarence Gomery was arraigned Monday in Traverse City District Court and jailed on a $5 million bond. A person who answered the phone at Gomery's law office told The Associated Press there was no immediate comment on the charge. Gomery served as Leelanau County prosecutor in the late 1990s. Authorities say Gomery sought the killing of Christopher Cooke, who represented ex-Gomery business partner Fred Topous Jr. He sued Gomery for fraud and malpractice in a golf course deal. The Traverse City Record-Eagle says a judge ordered Gomery to pay $315,000 in Topous' legal fees. Gomery filed for bankruptcy in April. Published: Wed, Jul 16, 2014