Jury finds former Sebastian councilman, son not guilty of falsely reporting crime to police
VERO BEACH — An Indian River County jury Thursday afternoon found former Sebastian City Council member Damien Gilliams, 61, and his son, Damien Lee Fey Gilliams, 29, not guilty of falsely accusing then-Sebastian Vice Mayor James Hill of battery outside a courtroom in May 2021.
The two-day misdemeanor trial started Wednesday in the Indian River County Courthouse. The two men were arrested in June 2021.
The two Gilliams were each charged with falsely reporting a crime to a law enforcement officer, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.
The jury deliberated for about two hours before issuing their verdict about 5 p.m.
Gilliams trial begins: Former Sebastian councilman, son stand trial
Previous coverage: Ex-Sebastian council member, son charged with making false reports against vice mayor
Both Damien Gilliams and his son expressed their appreciation for attorney Bobby Guttridge, who defended them in the case. Gilliams Jr. said he was thankful there were still good people out there but he was glad the case was over.
"He believed in us from day one," said Gilliams Sr. "I am happy that justice has prevailed and I'm thankful for the jury, the judge and the good attorneys. I just hope my family can move on."
Guttridge, a well-known Vero Beach attorney, said he was happy with the jury's verdict and he felt it was a fair decision Thursday.
"It's always good when you can get an acquittal for good people," Guttridge said.
Assistant State Attorney Felicia Holloman left the courtroom quickly after the verdict was read and would only say the verdict was "the will of the people."
Both father and son made complaints of battery to Vero Beach police against Hill, stating during an exchange in a courtroom hallway in May 2021, Hill bumped into the younger Gilliams "to instigate a fight" in the courtroom waiting area.
During his testimony earlier in the day, the younger Gilliams said he does not consider Hill to be a friend and the entire day the incident occurred seemed to be in slow motion.
"It felt like an intentional brushing," he said. "He (Hill) had plenty of room to get around me. I didn't know what to make of it."
Although Gilliams Sr. was not scheduled to testify, he decided to take the stand at the last minute to tell his side of what happened on May 24, 2021. He said he was concerned that the encounter with Hill in the hallway would jeopardize the appeals bond he had to post for his conviction on Sunshine Law violations.
He was convicted by a jury three days after the encounter of three Sunshine Law violations and one count of perjury stemming from a clandestine meeting he and two other council members held on April 22, 2020.
He is free on an appeals bond posted after he was sentenced to a jail term of about six months. State law allows certain defendants after conviction to be freed on bond while an appeal is filed, which a judge approved.
Both father and son asked to have the video of the hallway encounter reviewed by police and were advised by a judge to report the incident to law enforcement. They first consulted the Vero Beach Police Department, which referred the case to the Sheriff's Office.
Indian River County Sheriff's Office detective Ladell Young testified Wednesday after finding no evidence for the claims of battery, he sought arrest warrants against both men.
With this case settled, Gilliams said he will move forward on the appeal of his conviction for the three Sunshine Law violations and one count of perjury. That case is being heard by the 4th District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach.
Janet Begley is a local freelance writer for TCPalm.com. If you like articles like this and other TCPalm coverage of Treasure Coast news, please support our journalism and subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Former Sebastian City Council member not guilty of falsely reporting crime
