| UPDATE 10/13/2013 - Former candidate for WV Attorney General Hiram Lewis appeared in Clay County Circuit Court Monday related to a civil suit filed against him by Steven Bogart, a man Lewis allegedly shot.
A jury, earlier this year, found Lewis not guilty of criminal charges.
The civil suit against Lewis was reportedly for $4 million dollars.
Reportedly Bogart did not appear in court for the civil action, and the judge dropped the suit.
A counter suit by Lewis against Bogart was awarded at $100,000.
UPDATE June/2013 - After about a three hour deliberation, Clay County jurors jurors found Hiram Lewis not guilty of felony malicious wounding, unlawful wounding, wanton endangerment and misdemeanor battery or assault in the shooting of Stephen Bogart.
The defense rested Wednesday afternoon with Lewis taking the stand in his own defense, against the advice of his attorney.
Lewis admits to shooting Bogart in the knee, but claims it was in self-defense, using the Castle Doctrine.
ORIGINAL STORY - A West Virginia political figure and candidate for West Virginia Attorney General went to trial in Clay County court Tuesday.
Hiram Lewis is charged with malicious wounding and domestic assault of Stephen Bogart at Lewis' Clay County residence.
Lewis' lawyer told the court it may seem strange the lawyer and former treasurer of the state Republican Party was becoming a goat farmer and pastor, saying his stories about shooting Bogart are consistent.
The lawyer contends Bogart told police three different stories and pretended to be a veteran.
It was unclear whether Lewis would testify in his own defense.
Lewis, a former candidate for West Virginia Attorney General, was almost elected to the position.
A criminal complaint from June 2012 states that West Virginia State Police responded to a call where Lewis currently lives in Procious. Troopers discovered Bogart lying on the porch, bleeding from the leg.
The complaint says that Bogart claimed to live at the residence and accused Lewis of shooting him.
Lewis claims he was allowing Bogart to stay on his porch in exchange for beer and housework.
He claimed Bogart was intoxicated that evening and tried to break into the house, prompting Lewis to shoot the man in the knee.
Lewis told state media, "I don't even know why I'm being charged, I don't know why they've pushed it this far, and they continue to ignore the truth." Lewis maintains he shot Bogart in self-defense, citing the Castle Doctrine.
Nearly six months after the shooting, Lewis was arrested on another charge of intimidation of a witness, a misdemeanor. That witness was former Clay County Sheriff Randy Holcomb, who offered testimony in the case Tuesday.
Lewis denies he tried to intimidate Holcomb. The intimidation case is set for a later trial.
See related story UPDATE: CLAY SHOOTING CASE WILL GO TO GRAND JURY - Former Politico Claimed 'Castle Doctrine' Defense
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