NEWS

Jackson seeks to overturn Maddox election

Democrat staff

Correction: 

In the Sept. 14 Democrat article, “Jackson seeks to overturn Maddox election,” City Commissioner Scott Maddox told the Democrat he had filed a trespass compliant against businessman Erwin Jackson on Sept. 11.  Incident reports regarding Maddox’s complaint actually were not filed until Sept. 15. Tallahassee Police wrote the initial incident report before transferring the case to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, which also wrote a report on Sept. 15. The case was transferred by TPD to LCSO because the incident occurred in the county.

According to the TPD report: Maddox, who was out of the country, called Police Chief Michael DeLeo on Sept. 11, claiming Jackson was photographing his 19- and 20-year-old sons at a home he owns on Meadow Wood Court, which he says he has been trying to sell.

In the Sept. 14 Democrat article, Maddox said Jackson photographed his house while his sons were swimming there. According to the LCSO report: Maddox said his sons were near the pool area of the home when they saw a red SUV on the private road leading to the house and recognized the man driving as Jackson. Maddox’s sons said they saw Jackson taking photographs of them and the front of the house. Maddox said one of the tires of Jackson’s SUV entered the grassy edge of his property.

According to the LCSO report: When contacted by the investigating deputy, Jackson said he took pictures of the house and vehicles parked there from the public road. He denied being on Maddox’s property or taking pictures of his sons by the pool area, which he said could not be seen from the road. The deputy advised Jackson of the trespass warning and told him if he went on Maddox’s property he could be subject to arrest.

Original story:

A Tallahassee businessman is challenging the re-election of Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox.

Erwin Jackson filed suit Tuesday in Leon County Circuit Court seeking to overturn Maddox’s re-election Aug. 30 on the grounds that he is not a city resident.

The lawsuit claims Maddox lives outside the city on Meadow Wood Court rather than inside the city on North Adams Street. Questions about Maddox and several other elected officials in Tallahassee are not new; Maddox has asserted in the past that he, in fact, lives downtown on Adams Street.

Where do they live?

City Commissioner Scott Maddox

“Maddox’s legal residence is the expansive million-dollar estate he owns outside of the city, where he has lived with his family for more than a decade, not the small rented office space he claims as his residence solely for political purposes,” Jackson's suit alleges.

Maddox said he had not yet seen the lawsuit, but denied Jackson's claim. Maddox said he filed a trespass complaint Sunday against Jackson after he was caught taking pictures of his sons swimming at his empty, for-sale home on Meadow Wood while he and his wife were out of town with his father.

"I filed a trespass complaint this weekend and spoke to the State Attorney about a restraining order," Maddox said, noting Jackson has lodged similar and unsuccessful complaints with the state ethics commission and the supervisor of elections. "I intend to press charges to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law, and seek all civil remedies available. The price of serving the public should not be subjecting your children to stalking. "