The accused, Kathleen Thur, was charged with fraud, obstruction of justice, and forgery.
These charges arose from her alleged creation and submission of a forged letter of support from her employer, the Mayor of McGarry Township, during her sentencing hearing for a prior fraud conviction.
The central issue was whether the Mayor had signed the second, more specific letter of support, or if Ms. Thur had forged his signature.
The court found Ms. Thur to be an incredible witness, citing her history of dishonesty and evasive testimony.
Conversely, the Mayor's testimony was found credible.
Despite inconclusive expert handwriting analysis, the court concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that Ms. Thur prepared and signed the second letter without the Mayor's knowledge or approval, and submitted it to mislead the court.
Ms. Thur was found guilty of uttering a forged document and obstructing justice, but not guilty of fraud due to insufficient evidence of deprivation.
