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Attorney Denied Removal From Virginia Arson Case

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ACCOMAC, Va. (AP) - A judge has denied a request by an attorney to quit representing a woman accused of setting a string of abandoned structure fires on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

WAVY-TV reports Accomack County Circuit Judge Glen Tyler on Tuesday denied motions by attorney Shannon Dunham to remove herself from the case and to have the trial pushed to a later date.

Tonya Bundick of Parksley was indicted in August on one count of arson and one count of conspiracy. Her trial, set for Nov. 6, was previously moved to Virginia Beach.

Bundick's fiance, former volunteer firefighter Charles Smith III, faces 67 arson counts and one conspiracy count.

In court documents, Smith told investigators he torched 52 unoccupied buildings and Bundick set fire to 15.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.