Hamilton County School Board member Janice Boydston appeared in Hamilton County General Sessions Court this morning on charges that she shoplifted items from the Lookout Valley Wal-Mart on July 25.

A charge of theft under $500 was bound over to the grand jury.

Loss Prevention officer Christina Hooper, who works for Wal-Mart, testified that she followed Ms. Boydston around the store that day. She said she saw the school board member put cosmetics, a scented candle and shoe inserts into her purse.

At the checkout counter, Ms. Hooper said that Ms. Boydston took a Diet Coke out of the cooler and put it into her purse as well.

Ms. Hooper confronted the school board member as she was leaving the store. According to the officer, Ms. Boydston was immediately remorseful.

The District 6 representative, who has served on the board for 28 years, said the toothbrush, toothpaste, foot pads and makeup items must have fallen into her open purse when she placed them in her cart. She paid for $85 worth of groceries, she said.

The six items found in Ms. Boydston’s purse cost $34.05 and were undamaged and returned to Wal-Mart, according to an incident report.

“It was stupid of me to have my purse in the buggy, stupid of me for my purse to be open, but there was no intent,” Ms. Boydston said after the incident.

Ms. Boydston, who is not up for re-election this year, has retained Sam Robinson III as her attorney.