MARIETTA, Ga. -- A jury found a Cobb County mother not guilty of lying about where her family lived so her children could attend Marietta city schools.

Prosecutors said Jeanine Echols repeatedly lied to school officials.

Echols told jurors Thursday she never meant to deceive the Marietta school district. She said she only placed her three kids in city schools because that’s where her family lived.

"We had family in place that could make sure they got to the bus, they were picked up so if I worked late I didn’t have to worry about my child," said Echols.

SURVEY: Should Mom Face Prison For Lying?

Now, Cobb County’s district attorney is facing tough question about why a Cobb County mother ever faced jail time.

The Cobb County D.A. tells Channel 2 Action News -- he never intended for the case to go to trial.

Jurors sent a clear message when they found the mother of three not guilty on all 16 counts.

Echols told jurors she never intended to commit a crime when she filled out forms saying she lived in Marietta when, in fact, the family lived in the county.

She said her children only found out her legal troubles earlier this week.

“My oldest daughter, her first response was, ‘The school district with all the issues and problems that we face why would they spend so much time and energy on you.’ That was my oldest daughter's response,” said Echols.

Why did this case come to trial?

Cobb's District Attorney told Channel 2’s Ross Cavitt there have been other cases just like Jeanine Echols, but each time they were settled out of the courtroom with restitution and community service.

“There was never a discussion about her going to jail. In fact, she was offered pre-trial diversion and she was accepted into the program and when it came time to do community service she elected not to do that and decided to come back out of pre-trial diversion and take her chances at trial,” said Cobb County District Attorney Pat Head.

The D.A. does not argue with the verdict - saying if that's the message jurors want to send about these kind of charges it’s up to the legislature to listen.

“If there are people taking this being a message that its ok to lie, I hope that's not the intent of the jury,” said Head.

But he doesn't argue about bringing the case to trial either, saying to prosecutors it was clear Echols broke a state law.

“It’s not about illegal aliens, it’s not about the children themselves, it’s not about anything other than telling the truth,” said Head.