City clerk charged with stealing $56,000 from Danielsville

I know this girl and I knew the Spence girl - quiet, good people who have worked since their teens and raised their children in Madison County. Not even as much as a parking ticket and generally good folks are these girls and their families - enormouse debt, a tough and tight checkbook and a family's needs will twist the mind into doing something like this. It was wrong of both of them to commit this crime and they should be punished, but this does not make them heartless criminals - they are both mamas and trying to keep their homes and families together - please don't cast stones and only send prayers their way. I see desperate people everyday at the end of their ropes financially and none of them are above committing this crime or above either of these women. It is a very sad and desperate time we are living in right now.

In reading comments posted after mine (#13), I feel the need to clarify my comment: I believe that if these folks are found guilty of the crime they are charged with, they should accept the punishment dealt them. I do believe though, that prosecutors and jurors should always consider a person's 'prior' goodness when establishing the proper punishment. It will be punishment enough to pay the money back (if made to do so), do the time (if any), make amends (if willing) and to live in this county with everyone knowing what they have done. People are so eager to pick each other apart; and not so willing to simply apply justice and forgiveness to perpetrators. We are talking about two women who stole (possibly) and used the money to provide for their families. It is wrong, no doubt; my only point is that they should be tried and if found guilty, punished and not tortured by the rest of us for their wrongdoings. They have precious chldren in our schools, family in our county and husbands working in our communities. Knowing these girls, there is no doubt that it will surface that there are more of our fellow dishonest Madison-countians involved who hold higher positions then these girls EVER held. I am only asking for sympathetic considerations and prayers as to them and their families. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes BEFORE you stone them to death. I fault the county officials also for not simply having an appropriate accounting system which tracks expenses; obviously the threat of someone reviewing the books could've possible curtailed the mishandling of funds.