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Trial Delayed After Mom’s Attorney Withdraws In Tate High Homecoming Queen Case
January 29, 2022
Trial has been postponed for the former school official accused of illegally accessing student information to help her daughter win the Tate High School homecoming queen crown.
Laura Carroll appeared in an Escambia County courtroom Friday as a judge allowed her attorney, Randy Etheridge. to withdraw from the case. Etheridge filed the motion to withdraw due to a conflict of interest. He stated the main conflict of interest involves Carroll’s daughter Emily Rose Grover and the likelihood that she will be called to the stand.
Etheridge said he previously thought the case would end with a plea deal and not go to trial. Prosecutors said Carroll was offered a plea deal that she rejected — plead guilty to one felony and received probation, while the other felony charges would be dropped.
Trial was originally set to begin next week, but has now been set for April to allow Carroll’s new attorney, Chris Crawford, to prepare.
Carroll, former assistant principal at Bellview Elementary School, and her daughter Emily Rose Grover were charged by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement with one count each of felony offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks, and electronic devices; felony unlawful use of a two-way communications device, felony criminal use of personally identifiable information, and conspiracy to commit these offenses.
Grover is entering a pre-trial diversion program that, if successfully completed, will result in the charges against her being dismissed.
Both were accused of illegally accessing the Escambia County School District FOCUS computer system and casting 246 votes for Tate homecoming queen in the fall of 2020. Grover won, but she was later expelled.
NorthEscambia.com photo (left) and Escambia County Jail photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
3 Responses to “Trial Delayed After Mom’s Attorney Withdraws In Tate High Homecoming Queen Case”
Gee this is no surprise at all. The daughter gets away without even issuing an apology and the mom will probably get off with nothing too. Great justice system huh?
The way I read it, Attorney Etheridge took the case thinking Ms Carroll was going to plead out. If he also represented the daughter, and if Ms Carroll goes to a jury trial, the daughter will surely be called as a witness, this, I believe, is where the conflict would come in.
Guess that’s one way to get your trial delayed..have your attorney resign