Hall County Solicitor General Pleads Guilty to Misappropriation of Funds

Attorney General Chris Carr announced today that Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard has pleaded guilty to unlawfully acquiring funds from Hall County and the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia (PAC) for personal and unrelated expenses. Woodard’s actions included unauthorized travel expenditures and misuse of Local Victim Assistance Programs (LVAP) funds.

“Mrs. Woodard took advantage of our state by violating the same laws that she was elected to uphold,” Carr said. “She has now been held accountable for her actions. Our office will always follow the law, the facts, and the evidence to ensure justice for all Georgians.”

The investigation was conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and prosecuted by Senior Assistant Attorney General Laura D. Pfister, who leads the Attorney General’s White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit.

“Hall County citizens entrusted Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard to serve the community with honesty and integrity. However, Woodard betrayed that trust for her personal gain,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI is committed to thoroughly investigating cases like this and ensuring accountability.”

On August 30, 2024, Woodard pleaded guilty to the charge of Unprofessional Conduct under O.C.G.A. § 45-11-4(b) (1) and (5). She was sentenced under the First Offender Act to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay $1,190.48 in restitution to PAC and $1,028.80 to Hall County. As part of her plea agreement, Woodard was required to resign as Hall County Solicitor General, effective August 9, 2024.

Prosecutors from the White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit have previously secured convictions against former Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Mark Preston Jones, former Paulding County District Attorney Donald Richard “Dick” Donovan, and former Pickens County Chief Magistrate Court Judge William “Allen” Wigington.