Election officials

are trying to determine if the newly elected clerk of Superior Court can

be sworn into office next month after the Coweta County Grand Jury indicted

her this week on several theft counts.

Mary Jane Thompson,

who worked in the clerk's office before she was elected, was indicted

on 18 counts, including 13 charges of theft by conversiona, four altering

public records counts and a violation of oath of office charge.

Coweta District

Attorney Pete Skandalakis began his investigation into the clerk's office

last February after Clerk of Court Joan Griffies reported missing funds

from her office.

"The very

next day I referred the matter to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

I have steadfastly maintained that politics, primaries and elections were

of no concern to me," he said.

Thompson was

indicted for allegedly converting more than $8,400 of court funds to her

own private use while employed at the clerk's office.

Thompson resigned

from her position last spring and successfully beat Griffies for the clerk's

job in last July's election.

Griffies has

maintained that politics has played no role in the matter and that she

merely wanted to find out where the money went.

Skandalakis

received a report from the GBI in October and determined there was enough

evidence to take it to the Coweta County Grand Jury.

"Given

the circumstances, I considered time to be of the essence and, accordingly,

I asked for a special session of the Coweta County Grand Jury," he

said.

The district

attorney said that Coweta County's integrity is on the line.

"An indictment

has been handed down, and now the integrity of the Coweta Judicial Circuit

demands that Ms. Thompson be criminally prosecuted for the offenses listed

in the indictment," he said.

Thompson could

not be reached for comment.