Clerk of

Superior Court Joan Griffies is a happy woman.

After

Wednesday's ruling by the Supreme Court that upheld

Griffies' controversial bottled water policy, the clerk

feels vindicated that she is doing her job correctly.

The court

ruled that Coweta County did not have the authority to

determine whether the clerk's purchase of bottled water

for her employees was within her duties.

"It's

a matter of micro-management and people trying to tell me

how to run my department. I'm pleased with the

ruling," Griffies said.

In 1997,

Griffies took over her duties as clerk. Before she was

elected, Griffies worked in the courthouse and complained

the water in the building was greenish and poor quality.

During 1997

and 1998, she purchased bottled water for her employees

and sent the bills totalling $363.89 to the county for

repayment.

The county

commissioners refused to pay the bills because they said

it was not a necessary cost for her office. Griffies sued

the county and asked county attorney Mitch Powell to

represent her. But Powell said he couldn't represent her

and the county, and the county also refused to pay for an

attorney for her.

The matter

wound up in Coweta Superior Court and Judge Bill Lee

ruled in favor of the county. Griffies appealed the

decision to the Supreme Court and waited for its ruling.

The ruling

said the county has to pay the water bills and the

clerk's legal bills.

"By

the county not listening to the voice of reason, it's now

costing the taxpayers money," she said.

In its

decision, the court said although the courthouse water

did not exceed EPA standards for poor water, Griffies had

the right to spend the money.

"Once

a budget has been established for a county officer by the

County Commission, the county officer has the discretion

to expend money designated in the miscellaneous line item

of the budget `within the sphere of her legally delegated

powers' and a trial court cannot interfere with this

discretion unless it is abused," the court wrote.

The clerk

asked the Superior Court to assess attorney fees in the

case.

"I

really regret it's costing the county anything," she

said.