Kelly Marlow Gets 60 Days in Jail, 10 Years Probation

The former Cherokee County School Board member who was convicted of lying to police when she accused Superintendent Dr. Frank Petruzielo of trying to run her over last summer has been sentenced to jail time.

Kelly Marlow, along with fellow defendants Barbara Knowles and Robert Trim, received 60 days in jail to be served at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center and 10 years probation.

They were also sentenced to 200 hours of community service. Marlow and Trim will have to pay a $2,000 fine while Knowles will have to also pay a $3,000 fine.

All three defendants have the option to serve their jail sentence over the course of a year, which they can elect to do so on weekends.  

The sentence was handed down today in Cherokee County Superior Court by Judge Ellen McElyea. 

They have also been ordered to say 500 feet from Petruzielo and they can not attend any school board meetings. Along with those stipulation, the three defendants may not seek or accept any appointments to public office or any political parties or organizations, offer political advice or counsel to anyone as individuals or as a group or have any contact with any of the witnesses who testified during the trial. 

They were also ordered not to have any contact with each other. However, that specific condition for both Trim and Marlow will be effective in a week's time. Judge McElyea granted that delay to allow both defendants, who are engaged, to use the seven days to get married. 

Once they offer proof of their marriage to their probation officer, that officer can then determine if both defendants can have contact with each other. 

The defendants' attorneys — Brian Steel for Marlow, Anthony Morgese for Knowles and Michael Dupont for Trim — all requested the defendants be sentenced under first offender status, which McElyea declined. 

Marlow was convicted last weekend on two counts of making false statements, both of which are felonies. Trim, was found guilty on two counts of making false statements while Knowles, the former secretary of the Cherokee County Republican Party, was convicted on one count of filing a false police report and two counts of making false statements.

The felony conviction required Marlow to be suspended from the District 1 seat she's held since Jan. 1, 2013. However, Marlow on Wednesday resigned from office. 

The resignation now forces the Cherokee County School Board to call a special election to fill Marlow's unexpired term, which ends on Dec. 31 2016. 

Petruzielo said that while justice was served today, "their sentencing is no cause for celebration and should not be for our community."

"But this action, coupled with Ms. Marlow’s resignation, provides some sense of closure for us," he added. "I look forward to the students of school board District 1 receiving new representation on the school board, and the school board returning to the civil and productive atmosphere for which it formerly was known."