Hearing being held in Fla. election fraud case

MADISON, Fla. (AP) _ A judge is holding a pretrial hearing for six of nine defendants in a north Florida election fraud case.

Suspended Madison County School Board member Abra Hill Johnson is among those scheduled to appear Friday before Circuit Judge Julian Collins in Madison.

A second elected official charged in the case, suspended Madison County Supervisor of Elections Jada Woods Williams, has obtained a change of venue. Her case has been moved about 50 miles west to Tallahassee.

One defendant is in a pretrial diversion program after reaching a deferred prosecution agreement with the state. The others have pleaded not guilty.

All are accused of participating in a scheme to use fraudulent absentee ballots to elect Johnson in 2010. She defeated Ricky Henderson by 28 votes. The arrests were made last November.