Cairo's city attorney resigns to represent embattled mayor

The city attorney of Cairo, Ill., resigned Wednesday so he could represent the city's mayor who was charged with forgery and official misconduct last month.

"It appears that I may not be able to represent him [Mayor Paul Farris] in a criminal case and still be the city attorney, so I decided to resign," Alan McIntyre said late Wednesday.

Elected in May 2003 to a four-year term, Farris was charged with two counts of forgery and three counts of official misconduct related to the forgery last month.

According to McIntyre, the charges stem from Farris' decision to open a city bank account in Mounds in order to pay the city staff.

A city ordinance restricts city business to two local banks.

"He signed a signature card when he opened the account and that was the forgery," said McIntyre, who has been Cairo city attorney for a little more than a year.

"The charges are baseless and politically motivated."

McIntyre was a prosecutor in Johnson County, Ill., for 7 1/2 years.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 22 in Mound City.