Monique Acevedo pleaded not guilty Thursday for a third time on the criminal charges mounting against her, a former Adult Education coordinator accused of stealing public school funds.

Acevedo, who was in court, pleaded not guilty to the latest two of six charges: organized scheme to defraud in excess of $50,000 and grand theft in excess of $100,000.

Circuit Judge Mark Jones granted Acevedo a public defender to represent her on the two newest charges and set a new trial date for Jan. 16, with a pretrial hearing on Jan. 7 -- the third time she's had her trial postponed.

Acevedo first was scheduled to face trial on Aug. 24, then Sept. 26, and then Nov. 16 until the new date was announced Thursday.

The first postponement occurred because Nathan Eden, a private attorney who first represented Acevedo, pulled out of the case. The Public Defender's Office requested the second continuance, saying it needed more time to prepare. It requested the third after the State Attorney's Office filed the third and final set of charges against Acevedo.

Acevedo's public defender has not begun interviewing witnesses, but has credit card receipts, sworn statements prosecutors took from school district employees and other witnesses, and court testimony used in the conviction of her husband, former Schools Superintendent Randy Acevedo, according to prosecutor Mark Wilson.

Assistant Public Defender Patricia Docherty would not comment on the court proceedings Thursday, but has said she may re-interview witnesses in Randy Acevedo's case and request other evidence, such as bank statements and financial records not used in his prosecution.

Wilson said he and Monique Acevedo could strike a plea deal before the case ever gets tried.

"I expect that there will be further plea discussions," he said Thursday.

She faces 130 years in state prison, but State Attorney Dennis Ward said he'd consider less time if she repays the hundreds of thousands of dollars she's accused of stealing.

Ward on Oct. 29 told The Citizen that Docherty rejected a plea agreement that called for 10 years in prison, but Docherty said she heard Ward "discussing a five-year sentence" only.

The judge had granted Acevedo a public defender after the second set of charges were filed. In granting her a public defender again on Thursday, he noted the Clerk of the Court's office had questioned how Acevedo was able to pay bond but declare she didn't have money to represent herself. According to Acevedo's affidavit, her husband borrowed money for the $50,000 bond from her father, the Rev. Thomas Jenkins of the First Baptist Church in Creedmor, N.C.

In the latest charges, Acevedo is accused of using her school district credit card for personal purchases such as groceries, tools, furniture, clothes, travel and cosmetics for herself and her family for more than 20 months. In previous charges, she is accused of stealing cosmetology student and salon fees and money that ninth-graders raised for their class.

Randy Acevedo was convicted of trying to cover up her alleged crimes.

jguerra@keysnews.com