. >> michael thornsberry was released pending trial.be acquitted. >> reporter: for the past 16 years, he's been the only circuit judge on the kentucky border, population 26,000. prosecutors say in early 2008, judge thornsberry began an affair with his married secretary. one she broke off a few months later. >> in the process, he corrupted the system of justice in mingo county for his own nefarious purposes. >> a federal grand jury accuses the judge of trying to have her husband, identified in court documents only as r.w. arrested by getting someone to plant illegal drugs on his pickup truck. that plan fell through. so then court documents say he persuaded a west virginia state trooper to falsely accuse r.w. of stealing from his employer. those charges were later dismissed. prosecutors say the charges were filed by brandon moore, he was named state trooper of the year in 2009 around the time that investigators claim he was doing the judge's bidding. the state police say he's now been placed on administrative leave. the indictment says tr