VIDALIA &045; The seven voter fraud cases resulting in six arrests made earlier this week were never presented to a parish grand jury.

Louisiana law allows for two procedures resulting in arrest warrants that are signed by a judge. Grand juries can hand down indictments or the district attorney or attorney general can file a bill of information.

A bill of information is filed with a judge who then has the option to sign an arrest warrant or not.

A bill of information is a viable option in all cases except murder, which must go through a grand jury.

In the case of Justin Conner, Willie Robinson, James Skipper, Emerson Slain, Henrietta Williams and Eloise Polk, the arrest warrants were signed by Judge Leo Boothe.

The six arrested Tuesday and Shirley Mason face charges of criminal conspiracy, filing or maintaining false public records and principal to forgery.

Conner and Robinson, who have city jobs, will find out the fate of their employment early next week, City Attorney Derrick Carson said.

&uot;The town is going to wait and see how it plays out,&uot; Carson said Thursday. &uot;The policy is at the mayor’s discretion.&uot;

Carson said Mayor Gene Allen will meet with Conner, an administrative assistant to the mayor, and Robinson, a Ferriday police officer to decide their fate.

If the men are suspended from their jobs, it will be without pay, he said.

&uot;If they are found not guilty, the town will go back and pay them all their back pay,&uot; Carson said.

Dates of the voter fraud charges place the offenses during last year’s mayoral and school board elections. In the mayor’s race, Allen defeated incumbent Glen McGlothin by 71 votes. Neither Allen nor McGlothin has commented on this week’s arrests.

Carson said Allen’s focus now was not on the problems of his employees.

&uot;He is concentrating on moving Ferriday forward,&uot; Carson said.

Williams and Polk were released from jail on the day of their arrest for medical reasons.

Skipper is serving another sentence at Riverland Correctional Facility.

Conner, Robinson and Slain were released on bond Wednesday night after their bonds were lowered. Boothe lowered Robinson’s bond from $90,000 to $10,000. Judge Kathy Johnson later lowered Conner’s bond from $210,000 to $20,000 and Slain’s from $30,000 to $10,000.