Gov. Nathan Deal Could Suspend Kelly Marlow

Voluntarily remove herself or have Gov. Nathan Deal do it for her. 

Those are the two options facing Cherokee County School Board District 1 member Kelly Marlow in light of a grand jury on Tuesday indicting her on charges she and two others falsely accused Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo of trying to run them over in June. 

Georgia code requires the district attorney to send a certified copy of the indictment to the governor's office before he can take action. 

Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace said late Wednesday afternoon the indictment has been sent off and Governor's Office Spokeswoman Sasha Dlugolenski has confirmed to Patch the office now has the indictment.
 
Deal will now wait 14 days to appoint a three person panel — made up of Attorney General Sam Olens and two school board members outside Cherokee — to review whether the charges Marlow faces will "adversely affect her ability to do her job," Dlugolenski added. 

The panel will come up with a determination and send its recommendation to the governor, who Dlugolenski said "will typically will accept their recommendation."

However, all this could be avoided if Marlow voluntarily suspended herself within the 14-day time frame before Deal makes his appointments, Dlugolenski added. 

Patch has reached out to Marlow by phone, email and text message and is waiting to hear back. 

Marlow was indicted on four counts of making false statements. 

Her partner and political advisor Robert Trim was indicted on three counts of making false statements while 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.

The indictments stem from allegations made by Knowles that Petruzielo tried to run them over as they crossed East Main Street after the June 13 school board meeting. 

Knowles made the original call to Cherokee County E-911 dispatchers, alleging Petruzielo tried to run them over in his vehicle. 

Arrest warrants were issued for the trio on July 5 by the Canton Police Department, and all three were booked into the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center. 

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