A former secretary at Magisterial District Court 48-3-03 in
Foster Township has been charged with mishandling more than $13,000
in funds collected from the court over a period of nearly three
years.

Frances Lynn Paul, 42, of 9 Lake Circle Drive, Bradford, is
facing 16 counts of theft by failure to make required disposition
of funds – 15 of which are first-degree misdemeanors and one of
which is a second-degree misdemeanor – and 16 counts of
misapplication of entrusted property and property of government or
financial institutions, second-degree misdemeanors.

The charges were filed by Kane-based state police Trooper Brian
Hamilton and are before Magisterial District Judge Michael Kennedy
in Kane.

The police criminal complaint alleges that, while employed as
secretary at the office of former District Judge Barbara Boser
between Jan. 2, 2003 and Aug. 19, 2005, Paul would obtain the bank
deposits for the office, but fail to immediately deposit the funds
into the court’s account.

There was no indication given that Paul currently owes any
outstanding amounts to the District Court.

The complaint lists 15 incidents where Paul was in possession of
the funds for a bank deposit for periods of time ranging from one
month to nine months before the funds were deposited into the
court’s account.

Also, on Aug. 8, 2005, while Paul was serving as chairperson of
the Foster Township Parks Department, she withdrew $1,500 from the
parks’ account “for her own use,” the complaint alleges.

“A portion of the said funds were used by the defendant to make
a deposit on Aug. 9, 2005, to Magisterial District Court 48-3-03’s
bank account,” the complaint reads. “The defendant subsequently
reimbursed the $1,500 to Foster Township on Aug. 18, 2005.”

According to the complaint, Paul obtained cash from a bank
deposit dated Jan. 2, 2003, in the amount of $1,367.95 “for her own
use and failed to make the deposit to the district court’s
financial institution until” April 21, 2003; $901 in cash from a
deposit dated Sept. 25, 2003, which she deposited on Feb. 17, 2004;
$147 in cash from a deposit dated Feb. 26, 2004, which she
deposited on April 1, 2004; $447.50 in cash and $472 in checks from
a deposit dated March 31, 2004, which she deposited June 4, 2004;
$611.72 in cash and $165 in checks from a deposit dated June 4,
2004, which she deposited on Sept. 16, 2004; $457.09 in cash from a
deposit dated Aug. 31, 2004, which she deposited Oct. 12, 2004;

A deposit dated Sept. 16, 2004, of $780 in cash, which she
deposited Feb. 22, 2005; $641.84 in cash and $460.86 in checks from
a deposit dated Oct. 12, 2004, which she deposited Dec. 9, 2004; a
$234 cash deposit dated Oct. 29, 2004, which she deposited on Feb.
22, 2005; $1,616.28 in cash and $75.25 in checks from a deposit
dated Dec. 9, 2004, which she deposited Aug. 9, 2005; $524 in cash
and $494.50 in checks from a deposit dated March 10, 2005, which
she deposited May 2, 2005; $341.55 in cash and $750.10 in checks
from a deposit dated March 23, 3005, which she deposited May 23,
2005; a deposit of $790.28 in cash and $20 in checks dated April
29, 2005, which she deposited Aug. 10, 2005; a deposit of $753.89
in cash, dated May 23, 2005, which she deposited on Aug. 19, 2005;
and $1,479.32 in cash and $336 in checks from a deposit dated July
6, 2005, which she deposited on Aug. 19, 2005.

Paul’s preliminary arraignment is scheduled for 2 p.m. May 31 in
front of Kennedy. Bail will be set at that time, according to a
spokesperson of Kennedy’s office.

A preliminary hearing in the matter has been set for 1 p.m. June
12 in front of Kennedy.