KANE – The former secretary for District Judge Barbara Boser
waived her right to a preliminary hearing on charges of mishandling
funds Monday in front of District Judge Michael Kennedy.

Frances Paul, 42, of 9 Lake Circle Drive, Bradford, arrived at
the court with her attorney, Anthony Clarke, around 1 p.m. Clarke
announced to the office manager that the hearing would be waived,
the two went briefly into Kennedy’s office and left shortly
thereafter.

Paul is charged with 16 counts of theft by failure to make
required disposition of funds and 16 counts of misapplication of
entrusted property and property of government or financial
institutions.

The charges were filed by Kane-based state police Trooper Brian
Hamilton. The charges allege that while Paul was employed as
secretary at the Foster Township district judge office, between
Jan. 2, 2003, and Aug. 19, 2005, she would obtain the bank deposits
for the office but fail to immediately deposit the funds into the
court account.

The amounts involved total more than $13,000.

There was no indication given by police that Paul 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 from periods of time ranging from one
month to nine months before the funds were deposited into the
court’s account.

The other charge alleges that while Paul was serving as
chairperson of the Foster Township Parks Department, she withdrew
$1,500 from the parks’ account “for her own use,” according to the
complaint.

Part of those funds were used to make a deposit to the District
Court’s account, according to the complaint. Within 10 days from
removing the money from the account, she made full reimbursement,
the complaint reads.