By Stan Welch
As a result of a dispute with a neighbor, town councilman Otis Scott appeared before the judge in the Powdersville Summary Court last week, Scott, who currently serves on the Williamston Town Council as the Ward Four representative, has been charged with malicious damage to real property.
On October 2, Anderson County Sheriff’s Deputy B.S. Chandler received a telephone complaint from Daniel Keeler who once resided at 5 A Street in Williamston. Scott lives at 4 A Street. Keeler, who, according to the incident report on file at the ACSO, now lives in Forney Texas, but still owns the residence on A Street, complained that Scott had sent him an e-mail, telling him that on September 27 he had removed Keeler’s mailbox; which Scott claimed was on his property, and had placed it on Keeler’s front porch.
Keeler said that Scott’s claim was verified by Keeler’s mother-in-law, who periodically collected his mail and checked on the property. Keeler stated in his complaint that he and Scott had experienced problems on other occasions, although no details are included in the incident report filed by Chandler.
Chandler subsequently went to Scott’s home and spoke with him. Scott said that since Keeler had moved; and since he had allowed Keeler to place his mailbox on Scott’s property in the first place, he saw no problem with his actions in removing the mailbox. He conceded that he did not have Keeler’s permission to remove the mailbox. Chandler then informed the Williamston Police Department of the case number.
Scott, who has retained Lee Cole as his attorney, requested a jury trial during his court appearance. Cole, who also serves as the town’s attorney, but who insists he has benn retained privately by Scott in this matter, said that it will probably take several months for Scott’s trial to come to court.
Cole said that Scott will contest the charges, and denies them.
