The woman who accused the Rt. Rev. Charles Irving Jones, Bishop of Montana, of sexually exploiting her, has asked the Court for the Trial of a Bishop to remove him from office.

The court heard comments on a sentence of discipline Jan. 30 at the office of the lay assessor to the court in Charlotte, N.C. It spent the following day deliberating. The same court had previously found Bishop Jones subject to discipline for the incident which took place in the early 1980s when he was rector of Trinity Church in Russellville, Ky. Bishop Jones was not present for this hearing.

In addition to the complainant and her husband, the court also considered affidavits from members of the Diocese of Montana, who questioned Bishop Jones' ability to maintain his credibility as a pastoral leader. Montana's diocesan council also submitted a letter calling for Bishop Jones' resignation.

That letter was challenged by a former Montana priest, now in North Carolina, who told the court that opposition to Bishop Jones in the diocese was the work of about 25 people bent on vengeance.

According to the canons, three possible sentences can be imposed. The lightest, and the one requested by the attorney representing Bishop Jones, is admonition, a public and formal reprimand which does not prevent an ordained cleric from performing the duties of office. Deposition, the most severe option, would deprive Bishop Jones of his ordained status. A third option is suspension. While under suspension Bishop Jones would be permitted to continue to serve as chief executive officer of the diocese on administrative matters, but would be forbidden to act as a member of the clergy for a specified length of time.

When the court reaches a decision, it will be delivered immediately to Bishop Jones, the woman who made the complaint, the standing committee in the Diocese of Montana and to the Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop. Under the canons, Bishop Griswold is responsible for announcing and carrying out the sentence.

Bishop Jones will have 30 days to appeal any sentence the court imposes. Should an appeal be lodged, a nine-member Court of Review of the Trial of a Bishop would hear the appeal. It could uphold, set aside the decision, or modify it.

Episcopal News Service contributed to this article.