SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — A fresh legal battle is now gripping the political landscape, as Norman Scott, mayor of Spanish Town and a familiar figure in People’s National Party ranks, faced the St Elizabeth Parish Court this week in connection with a volatile election-day altercation.
The courtroom was a study in legal force and political symbolism. On one side, Scott stood with his counsel, Charles Ganga-Singh, defiant and unshaken. On the other, Julie Francis—an election day official representing the Jamaica Labour Party—arrived backed by a formidable legal team steered by King’s Counsel Tom Tavares-Finson, who confirmed efforts are underway to obtain a fiat to prosecute the case directly.
Scott entered a not guilty plea to dual charges: assault occasioning actual bodily harm and malicious destruction of property. The allegations stem from an incident at BB Coke High School polling station, where tensions reportedly flared after Scott overstayed his permitted time. An attempt to notify him sparked a confrontation that allegedly turned physical.
Police accounts suggest that during the scuffle, an agent attempting to calm the dispute was allegedly struck by the mayor. Scott was then removed from the premises by his security detail. The incident prompted an immediate police probe, culminating in formal charges issued on September 12.
When asked for comment, Ganga-Singh initially declined, but later issued a sharp response via text message: “Whether Tom alone, or Tom and 99 of his associates, I am fully ready to defend the matter.”
The stakes are not just legal, but political. Scott’s recent defeat in the September 3 General Election adds another layer of scrutiny to the unfolding case. The courtroom now serves as the next arena, where the fallout from the election continues to play out.
The matter is scheduled to return to court on November 27, where the legal clash is expected to escalate—an extension of the political rivalry that played out at the ballot box, now under the stark lights of judicial scrutiny.
