Crime & Safety

Barbara Knowles Resigns As Cherokee GOP Secretary

Party Chair Rick Davies also said Robert Trim, who is a precinct chair, has not indicated if he plans to resign.

Barbara Knowles, the Woodstock resident who originally called 911 to falsely report Superintendent Dr. Frank Petruzielo tried to run her over last summer, has resigned from position of secretary for the Cherokee County Republican Party.

Knowles, along with suspended Cherokee school board member Kelly Marlow and political advisor Robert Trim, were all convicted over the weekend by a jury for lying to police in their accusations against Petruzielo. 

Party chair Rick Davies made the announcement late Monday evening using the organization's Facebook page. Davies noted Knowles offered, and he accepted, her resignation upon her conviction Saturday evening on one count of filing a false police report and two counts of making false statements.

Davies noted the party at both the local and national level "supports the individuals right to a fair trial and a decision rendered by a jury of their peers," which is why its executive board last year voted not to "act in haste" in response to the arrest. 

"It is my sincerest hope that from this point on all Cherokee County Republicans can now move to fulfill the core ideals of the Republican Party platform and work, diligently, towards the upcoming primary on May 20th to select qualified Republican candidates to represent us on the ballot on November 4th, 2014," he wrote. 

For his part, Robert Trim currently serves as a precinct chair, and Davies said he has not received any word if he will resign from his post. He added he plans to discuss at the party's next executive committee meeting on whether any personnel action should be taken up by the county committee. 

The false statements charges, which are felonies, carry up to five years each in prison while filing a false report of a crime conviction comes with a sentence of up to 12 months in prison. 

Knowles, Marlow and Trim will be sentenced at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 1 in Cherokee County Superior Court. 

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