Trial date set for man whose arrest triggered Karl Fields investigation

James Leon Works Jr., an accused rapist, appears before Judge Barry A Steelman on the third floor of the Hamilton County Courthouse on September 25, 2014.  Chattanooga police officer Karl Fields investigated the crime and was put on administrative leave after the alleged victim told the district attorney's office that Fields tried to have a sexual relationship with her while he investigated the crime.
James Leon Works Jr., an accused rapist, appears before Judge Barry A Steelman on the third floor of the Hamilton County Courthouse on September 25, 2014. Chattanooga police officer Karl Fields investigated the crime and was put on administrative leave after the alleged victim told the district attorney's office that Fields tried to have a sexual relationship with her while he investigated the crime.
photo James Leon Works Jr., an accused rapist, appears before Judge Barry A Steelman on the third floor of the Hamilton County Courthouse on September 25, 2014. Chattanooga police officer Karl Fields investigated the crime and was put on administrative leave after the alleged victim told the district attorney's office that Fields tried to have a sexual relationship with her while he investigated the crime.

James Leon Works, whose arrest last year triggered a criminal investigation into a Chattanooga detective, will go to trial in September.

Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Barry Steelman set Works' trial date this morning. He faces charges of possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine, making methamphetamine, aggravated assault, kidnapping and rape.

Detective Karl Fields investigated Works' case. But in August, Works' alleged victim accused Fields of sexual harassment. She said Fields tried to kiss her, lurked outside her home and asked her for nude pictures.

photo Karl Fields testifies in Judge Don Poole's courtroom in Chattanooga in this Oct. 24, 2014, file photo.

The victim's accusations, coupled with text messages to support her claim, led Chattanooga police to investigate their own detective. In March, they fired Fields. He is also under criminal investigation.

Because the Hamilton County prosecutors used to work with Fields, the local district attorney's office recused themselves from the Works case. Cynthia Schemel, a prosecutor called in from Bradley County, said she will be ready to bring Works to trial on Sept. 22.

She will prosecute him for the drug arrests, but she did not mention the rape accusations. She may prosecute those charges later.

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