HALL COUNTY, Ga. — An elected prosecutor in northeast Georgia has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor after being accused of unlawfully acquiring public funds to cover personal and unrelated expenses.
Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard pleaded guilty on Friday to one misdemeanor count of unprofessional conduct, according to Attorney General Chris Carr.
She was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay restitution to Hall County and the Prosecuting Attorneys Council for just over $2,000. Also as part of the plea deal, she resigned from her position as solicitor general of Hall County on Aug. 9 of this year.
“Mrs. Woodard took advantage of our state by violating the same laws that she was elected to uphold," Carr said. “She has now been held accountable for her actions. Our office will always follow the law, the facts and the evidence to ensure justice for all Georgians.”
Woodard’s conduct was first detailed in 2022. At that time, the Prosecuting Attorneys Council appointed Carr to investigate whether Woodard had stolen money. Woodard claimed in 2022 that some of the money was spent to help crime victims. She said then that some personal items were submitted by mistake and that she repaid Hall County more than $2,000. That included some of the purchases listed as crimes in the indictment against her.
Among the wrongful purchases alleged by the indictment between 2018 and 2022 was $215 paid for someone to take the admission test to law school. The indictment alleges Woodard lied when she said in 2022 that it was for a crime victim being helped by Project Yet, a group that helps young adults.
It's also alleged that Woodard improperly spent $54.06 using her county credit card at Target in 2022, claiming it was for a pillow and pillowcase for a crime victim, and that she was improperly reimbursed for $68.92 she spent at a restaurant. The indictment also alleges that Woodard was paid twice for more than $500 worth of expenses in 2018, getting reimbursed by both Hall County and the Prosecuting Attorneys Council.
A former employee of Woodard's office, Michelle Daniel, has provided notice that she may sue Hall County. Daniel alleges that Woodard fired her in November in retaliation for cooperating with investigators. Daniel's lawyer offered to settle the claim for $750,000.
Woodard also paid the state Ethics Commission $4,000 in civil fines in 2023 for failing to file campaign reports on time.
A county solicitor general prosecutes traffic, misdemeanor, and ordinance violation cases in certain Georgia counties, while a district attorney prosecutes more serious crimes. Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed Woodard to the post in 2008. She has since been reelected four times.