Former Decatur Co. employees charged with theft, forgery appear in court

DECATURVILLE, Tenn. — Attorneys appeared before a judge Thursday morning in Decaturville, representing eight former Decatur County employees charged with theft and forgery.

“This involves whether or not time was turned in and whether it was approved or not,” said Mark Donahoe, representing former Decatur County chief deputy William Scott Cagle. “That’s the literal issue here, if there’s documentation to back it up.”

To avoid a conflict of interest, the local district attorney’s office will not prosecute the case.

“They’ve asked for another prosecutor to be appointed, and we’ve learned that the prosecutor is out of Dickson,” Donahoe said.

Donahoe’s client, William Scott Cagle, pleaded not guilty Sep. 29 to two counts of theft and two counts of forgery.

Not guilty pleas were also entered for former Decatur County Mayor Micheal Smith, his wife, Doris Smith, former secretary Martha Graves, former solid waste director Robert Hayes, former EMA director James Cagle, former EMS director Mark Hayes and former jail administrator Pamela Brasher.

“We’re very anxious to get this to a jury,” Donahoe said. “We have the documentation we think supports that our clients just didn’t do a thing wrong.”

The former employees are set to appear back in court Nov. 16.