SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — A battery of high-profile lawyers appeared in court here on Monday as Spanish Town Mayor Norman Scott made his first appearance in an assault case between himself and complainant Julie Francis.

Scott was ordered to have his fingerprints recorded by the police when he appeared in the St Elizabeth Parish Court in Santa Cruz.

A source said he also pleaded not guilty to charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and malicious destruction of property.

Scott, the defeated People’s National Party candidate for St Elizabeth South Eastern in the September 3, 2025 General Election, is before the court in relation to an incident involving Francis, Jamaica Labour Party indoor agent, at a polling station at BB Coke High School in Junction on election day.

A police report said about midday on September 3, Scott visited the polling station and stayed a little longer than the allotted time. Police said an agent’s attempt to inform him that his allotted time had already been spent resulted in a commotion. Police said another agent intervened to quell the dispute and was struck to the face by Scott before his security detail removed him from the location. Police said following the incident, a report was made to the constabulary, an investigation launched into the matter, and a summons for the offences were formally served on the mayor on Friday, September 12.

When Scott made his first court appearance before Senior Parish Court Judge Steve Walters on Monday he was represented by attorney-at-law Charles Ganga-Singh. The complainant in the matter, Francis, was represented by a team of lawyers led by Tom Tavares-Finson, King’s Counsel.

The lead attorney for Francis told the Jamaica Observer that the presiding judge agreed with his request to apply for a fiat to prosecute Scott.

“I have applied for a fiat to prosecute the mayor,” Tavares-Finson reiterated in an audio release to the media on Monday.

When initially contacted Ganga-Singh declined to comment on the record.

However, he later responded via WhatsApp text message saying he is not deterred by the complainant’s attorneys.

“Whether Tom alone, or Tom and 99 of his associates, I am fully ready to defend the matter,” said Ganga-Singh.

Scott is bound over to reappear in the St Elizabeth Parish Court on November 27.

Tom Tavares-Finson, King’s Counsel (right) and Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth South Eastern Franklin Witter flank complainant Julie Francis outside the St Elizabeth Parish Court in Santa Cruz on Monday.