State law outlines the process for determining if Newton County chairman Marcello Banes should remain in elected county office while under federal indictment. According to the state Attorney General’s website, it is a process that should currently be underway given the timelines provided under the law. At the same time, members of the Joint Development Authority (JDA) board of directors have been considering whether or not Banes should continue in his appointed position as Newton County’s representative on the board while under indictment, sources close to the situation have said, and they could take up the matter as early as its next regular board meeting Tuesday.