Jesse Lee
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
A trial date has been set in the case involving Gulfport ice cream vendor Jesse Lee and an alleged assault on a police officer.
The Pinellas County Circuit Court has set an Oct. 20 jury trial for Lee. The trial is scheduled to start 8:30 a.m. at the Pinellas County Justice Center on 49th Street in Clearwater, according to court records.
A pre-trial hearing has also been scheduled for Sept. 19.
Gulfport police arrested Lee in July 2021 after he threw a CD and struck an officer outside of Gulfport City Hall. Lee had come to city hall because the CD, which was part of a public records request, was not working, according to police and court documents.
Lee, 39, is a frequent and vocally and aggressive critic of Gulfport elected, law enforcement, and municipal officials. He was arrested after the CD incident and faces a felony charge of assaulting a law enforcement officer.
Lee’s attorney, Rick Fletcher, had sought an alternative path for the case which would have avoided a trial and set up a regiment akin to probation and community service.
But that was opposed by prosecutors. Fletcher has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Team Gabber brought back the print version of the newspaper, and we’ve redesigned our website to make it easier for you to get the news. We’re not out of the woods yet, and every little bit helps pay our reporters, printer, and other expenses. Support local news and families — donate now to keep The Gabber Newspaper serving the community it loves!