When the dust

had settled Wednesday afternoon, three candidates had qualified for the

Clerk of Superior Court race in March.

Former Clerk

Joan Griffies, current interim Clerk Cindy Brown and Walcut "Wally"

Metzger will face off March 20.

The special

election was set after Mary Jane Thompson, who defeated Griffies last

July in the clerk's race, pled guilty to one count of theft by conversion

and one count of violating her oath of office.

Thompson was

sentenced to five years probation and fined $18,384 for the theft scandal

that rocked the clerk's office earlier last year.

Thompson, who

worked in the clerk's office before she was elected, was indicted on 18

counts, including 13 charges of theft by conversion, 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 that funds were

missing from her office.

Thompson was

indicted for allegedly converting more than $8,300 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.