Published on January 17, 2025
The individual arrested in August for committing several acts of vandalism at Gainesville City Hall and the Old Library Building has been sentenced to nine months in jail and three years of probation. James Alexander Dewar entered a plea of nolo contendere to threatening a public servant and three counts of property damage in excess of $1,000.
The Gainesville Police Department identified Dewar as the suspect in a series of vandalism incidents that left broken windows at the City Hall Complex on three occasions last March, including those of the office of Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward. Left behind were two racist and threatening notes.
The events raised safety concerns for municipal employees and visitors. In response, Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya heightened police presence at City Hall. Additional security measures at the complex, long in the planning stages and unrelated to the vandalism, were soon completed, further enhancing safety for staff and members of the public.
In the wake of new developments, Mayor Ward reissued the following statement: “My fellow commissioners and I will continue to do what the people elected us to do. A broken window and ugly note will not shake our resolve. We will stay on course and do the work.”
Dewar was found guilty and sentenced Tuesday to 270 days in jail, with credit for 235 days served; he remains incarcerated. He also is required to compensate the city for $15,169 in damages, and has been banned from City Hall and the Old Library Building.