A felony indictment charging an Atlanta criminal defense lawyer with forging a judge’s name on a court order was based on the lawyer’s belief that she had permission to sign for the judge, her defense attorney said Tuesday.

Elizabeth Vila Rogan was “merely attempting to clarify the status of a client’s criminal history” with the filing of a three-sentence order that prompted the first-degree forgery charge now pending against her, said Rogan’s attorney, Michael Moran.