A 47-year-old Hailey woman pleaded guilty to grand theft by embezzlement on Friday in a case that’s been in the Blaine County court system for almost two years.
Barbara Lynn Adams, also known as Barbara Lynn Hall, was originally charged with the crime in February 2013. After being rescheduled several times, the case went to jury trial in Blaine County Fifth District Court in April of this year. However, a mistrial was declared then by Judge Jonathan P. Brody after a document possibly relevant to the case surfaced during the trial.
A new trial was scheduled to have started on Monday.
Adams, a former employee of Sun Valley Dental in Ketchum, is accused of writing unauthorized checks to herself on the company’s account totaling more than $40,000 between June 2006 and September 2010.
An investigation was started in 2012 after Sun Valley Dental brought the matter to the attention of the Ketchum Police Department. Adams was arrested and charged with the crime on Feb. 4, 2013. She has remained free since after posting $25,000 bail on Feb. 7, 2013.
Sentencing has been scheduled before Judge Brody for 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2015.
The case was assigned to Brody, who normally presides in Fifth District Court in Minidoka County, after Blaine County Judge Robert J. Elgee disqualified himself on a motion filed by the defense in May 2013.
Adams is represented by Ketchum attorney Andrew Parnes under his public defender contract with Blaine County.