Kelly Marlow Panel To Meet Thursday Morning

The three-person panel appointed to recommend whether Cherokee County School Board Member Kelly Marlow should be suspended while under indictment will meet Thursday morning.

Lauren Kane, spokeswoman for the Georgia Attorney General's office, said the panel, made up of Attorney General Sam Olens, Cobb County School Board Member Tim Stultz and Forsyth County School Board Member Ann Crow, will meet at 9 a.m. Thursday in the third floor conference room of the Judicial Building in Atlanta.

Kane said the proceedings are done in private, "so any announcement will come from the governor."

Georgia Code 45-5-6 states that if the panel recommends suspension, the governor "shall review the findings and recommendations of the commission and may suspend the public officer from office immediately and without further action pending the final disposition of the case or until the expiration of his term of office, whichever occurs first."

The meeting comes on the heels of Deal earlier today suspendingState Senator Don Balfour (R-Snellville) from office after he was indicted on 18 counts of allegedly abusing his legislative expense account.

A Cherokee County grand jury last month indicted Marlow on four counts of making false statements in relation to allegations that Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo tried to run her and two others over after a June school board meeting. 

Robert Trim, Marlow's partner and political advisor, was indicted on three counts of making false statements. Barbara Knowles, secretary of the Cherokee County Republican Party, was indicted on one count of filing a false report and four counts of making false statements. 

Knowles made the original call to Cherokee County E-911 to report the allegations. After investigating the allegations, Canton police later issued arrest warrants for the trio's arrest.