CLEVELAND, Ga. — On Thursday, Superior Court Judge Murphy C. Miller handed White County’s Kathy Cochran a victory in her five-year long fight with Sentinel Offender Services when he ordered the case against her returned to the dead docket.

In issuing the ruling, Miller stated: “Defendant Kathy Cochran was not subject to a pre-trial diversion program through Sentinel Probation Services. The court further finds that Sentinel Probation Services had no power or authority to charge the defendant any money, order any drug testing, perform any community service or participate in shoplifting classes.”

In fact, Sentinel ordered Cochran to do all those things and threatened to have her jailed if she failed to comply.

Cochran said she was relieved to have a case that cost her nearly half a million dollars in lost wages and attorney’s fees behind her.

“I am very pleased with Judge Miller’s ruling,” Cochran said. “He listened to all the witnesses, considered all the evidence and made a just and fair ruling. I’m glad it’s over with.”

The ruling was vindication for Cochran who said Sentinel, intimidated, coerced and threatened her.