(September 5, 2007)—State District Judge Robert Stem Wednesday approved a motion allowing Marlin attorney Hoagie Karels to withdraw as counsel for former Falls County Tax Appraisal District official Candace Grams, who was sentenced in June to 10 years in prison on a theft by a public servant charge and five years probation on each of two tampering with evidence charges.

Grams was indicted in July 2006 for theft by a public servant after an investigation determined that signatures had been forged on appraisal district checks.

While she was free on $50,000 bond on that charge, she was named in additional indictments in August 2006 charging 19 counts of tampering with government records and two counts of fabricating physical evidence.

Those indictments stemmed from allegations that appraisal values were changed on several properties and that false documents were filed.

Stem will appoint another attorney to represent Gramms who was seen last week walking into the Falls County District Attorney’s office with an investigator from the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

Grams has been held in the Falls County Jail since her conviction and sentencing.

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