Published: June 26, 2009 04:02 pm      

Catoosa Superior Court judge’s secretary charged with theft

Kim Yates, secretary for Catoosa County Superior Court Judge Ralph Van Pelt, has been charged with theft.

Yates, who was also librarian for the Catoosa Law Library, was arrested Wednesday, June 17, and charged with taking more than $500 from the library’s bank account. She was booked at the Catoosa County jail.

Van Pelt said the librarian job is a “perk” of the secretary job.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is handling the case. Jerry Scott, special agent with the GBI office in Rossville, said Yates was charged with two felonies — theft by taking and theft by fiduciary, meaning theft of money that one is responsible for overseeing.

Scott said the investigation that led to Yates’ arrest has been ongoing for “some time.”

Yates’ employment with Van Pelt was terminated on Thursday, June 18.