COBB COUNTY, GA — A superior court clerk in Cobb County is in some hot water and could face a more than decade in prison if convicted.

Cobb County Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor is charged with destruction of public records and violation of oath of office.

The indictment announced Thursday in a Cobb County courtroom accuses her of asking an employee to delete both records about passport revenue and an email about them.

State law allows superior court clerks to keep the $35 processing fee when someone applies for a passport, but Taylor is accused of also keeping money for an expedited shipping fee that’s supposed to go to the county.

In a statement from Cobb County, it says regardless of the outcome, the county is committed to ensuring residents continue to receive efficient effective services through the clerk of superior court’s office.

The Clerk of Superior Court is one of four constitutional officers established by the Georgia Constitution and is elected directly by the voters. As such, the office operates independently and is not under the direct authority of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. We respect the judicial process and will allow it to run its course. Regardless of the outcome, Cobb County is committed to ensuring residents continue to receive efficient and effective services through the Clerk of Superior Court’s office.

—  Ross Cavitt, Cobb County's Communications Director