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Former Garrard clerk pleads guilty to misconduct

September 11, 2009|By TODD KLEFFMAN

LANCASTER - Former Garrard Circuit Clerk Jennifer Grubbs pleaded guilty today to a single count of official misconduct for using office funds for her personal benefit.

In a deal with prosecutors, Grubbs was fined $500 and will not have to serve any time in jail or on probation in exchange for her guilty plea.

"I just didn't feel like jail time was necessary under the circumstances," said Madison County Commonwealth's Attorney David Smith, who was assigned special prosecutor in the case.

Grubbs was suspended from office in December after the state Administrative Office of the Courts launched an investigation into allegations of financial irregularities in her office. She later resigned.

Grubbs was indicted in March on seven counts of official misconduct, charged with writing about $1,300 in cold personal checks and IOUs for cash taken from funds collected by her office and attempting to shield others from court action.

Grubbs had repaid all of the checks and IOUs by the time she resigned, Smith said.

Two charges involving the improper filing of court documents involving Grubbs' daughter and a former deputy clerk were dismissed, Smith said. The five counts involving checks and IOUs were merged into a single misdemeanor charge, which Grubbs pleaded guilty to.

"In affect, she was making unauthorized, short-term loans to herself using money from her office," Smith said. "She paid back all the money. I didn't think she needed to be locked up."

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