(DURHAM) -- Durham County District Attorney Tracy Cline was suspended Friday, following a petition filed by a Durham lawyer that calls for her removal from office. Legal analyst Hampton Dellinger tells ABC11 that Cline will have a chance to defend herself at a hearing scheduled next month.

"There's going to be another hearing in this matter where there will be live testimony. Maybe Tracy Cline is able to bring something forward either to discredit the lawyer's complaint or to buttress her case in some way," he said.

An affidavit filed by Durham lawyer Kerry Sutton invoked a rare state law, requiring a judge to determine if Cline's actions are grounds for removal. Franklin County Judge Robert Hobgood said Friday the filing has merit.

The hearing is scheduled for February 13.