Former Hall County State Court Solicitor Stepanie Woodard has lost an appeal for a less severe punishment than what a lower court handed her after her guilty plea in connection with the misuse of public funds.
The state Supreme Court (SCOGA) rejected her appeal for “voluntary discipline” in an 11-page opinion handed down Wednesday.
In her petition to the high court, Woodard admitted that between July 2018 and September 2022 she received 11 improper reimbursements from the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia
and Hall County and that she entered a guilty plea to one misdemeanor count. The maximum punishment for such an offense is disbarment.
While acknowledging that her conduct was a breach of her duty as a public official, Woodard asserted that several mitigating factors are applicable and requested that the Supreme Cout impose a “public reprimand” for her violations. In response, the state Bar of Georgia stated that Woodard’s request for a public reprimand is “appropriate” but notes that the presumptive penalty for her violations is a short suspension. “Upon careful review, we decline to accept Woodard’s petition,” the court ruled.
You can read the full opinion here, including the reasons for the high court’s decision, which begins on Page 2: s25y0649.pdf