Patricia Ann McGraw, 49, waived her right for a preliminary examination Wednesday morning at East Lansing's 54-B District Court.

McGraw, a former MSU employee who turned herself into police June 20 on an embezzlement charge, will now await a pretrial meeting to be scheduled at Lansing's 30th Judicial Circuit Court.

McGraw has been charged with embezzling more than $20,000 from the MSU Department of Theatre, where she worked as a business office supervisor. She started working at MSU in January 1976 and left in February.

McGraw is accused of stealing more than $114,000 during a five- to six-year period.

"She voluntarily waived the case and it will now be bound over to the Ingham County Circuit Court where it will be placed on a trial schedule," said George Zulakis, McGraw's attorney.

McGraw was entitled to a preliminary examination, where the prosecutor would have been required to introduce evidence and show probable cause that she committed the crime, Zulakis said.

McGraw waived the examination on the record. Zulakis would not comment on any discussion he has had with McGraw.

McGraw's defense counsel offered no further comment regarding the case.

The Ingham County Prosecutor's Office could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

McGraw also waived her July 11 arraignment date, meaning she will not have to appear in court to be pressed with charges again, since she was already arraigned in East Lansing, said Charlotte Shade, court reporter for 54-B District Court Judge David L. Jordon.

Judicial selection and a pretrial conference for the circuit court hearing will occur within the next month, Zulakis said.

"We always have things to do, but the next event will be a pretrial conference with the prosecutor," he said.