BY DAN HILDEBRAN
A Bradford County jury convicted a 55-year-old Lawtey woman of trespassing at city hall.
After a February 19 trial in Starke, the six-person panel found Yolanda Louise Clark guilty of trespassing on an occupied structure.
Senior Judge Bo Bayer sentenced the defendant to a suspended 10-day jail term and 50 hours of community service. Clark may avoid the jail time if she completes the community service.
The maximum penalty for the first-degree misdemeanor is 60 days in jail.
According to a July 26, 2024, sworn complaint, Lawtey Police issued a trespass warning to Clark on March 6 after she threatened a city council member following a council meeting.
On July 26, a city official called police to report Clark was inside the city’s headquarters.
Lawtey Police Major Nathan R. Blom wrote in the complaint that he contacted the defendant as she was getting into her car in the municipality’s parking lot. He added that he informed Clark of the March trespass warning and instructed her to leave.
“She became argumentative and told me that (City Attorney) Dan Sikes told her she could be on City owned (sic) property but was unable to provide documentation to corroborate her claim,” wrote Blom. “She then proceeded to drive off claiming that she was going to file a lawsuit.”
