DOTHAN, Ala. – After a short deliberation, a jury found a former Dothan Planning Commission member not guilty on two counts of first-degree theft of property.
Gayla White, 54, was accused of stealing event deposits while employed at Windmill Station, an event venue, in July 2018.
A grand jury indicted White on the theft charges, and on Jan. 2, 2019, her attorney Billy Joe Sheffield entered a plea of not guilty for his client, waiving her arraignment.
The charges stemmed from a disagreement between White and Windmill Station owner Eddie Donaldson, Sheffield said. The attorney claims the owner intentionally made up the allegations against his client, saying Donaldson was upset by White’s request for tax information and announcing that she was leaving her job.
“I don’t think there ever should have been an arrest,” Sheffield said on Thursday, saying the evidence presented during White’s trial that included seven witness testimonies and a handwriting expert was overwhelmingly in her favor.
During the trial on Wednesday, Sheffield said he introduced proof of inconsistent statements made by Donaldson throughout the investigation and a handwriting expert testified that White did not sign her name on an event deposit receipt.
Sheffield added that he believes investigators failed to thoroughly investigate the claims before arresting White. Houston County District Attorney Pat Jones prosecuted the case.
