First Lincoln petition circulator accused of fraud makes court appearance

Jessica Davis, one of seven people charged in an expanding petition fraud scandal in Lincoln, made her first court appearance on Monday.

Davis, 23, of Florida, is the first defendant to be extradited to Nebraska and appear in court. She was booked into the Lancaster County Jail on Friday and faces two felony counts of falsely swearing to a circulator’s affidavit.

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office announced earlier this month that five out-of-state petition circulators had been charged with fraud after they allegedly turned in thousands of falsified signatures on three petitions sponsored by Good Government Lincoln. Two other people have been charged with fraud since the initial announcement, and the investigation is ongoing.

The petitions sought to place term limits on Lincoln City Council members, change the timing of city elections and expand the voting area to residents in the three-mile area surrounding Lincoln. As a result of the fraud, the petitions did not initially qualify for the ballot.

Organizers launched another campaign to collect more signatures. The new petitions have been turned in, and the county announced Monday that the first one has been certified.

Prosecutors said Monday that Davis turned in 100 signature sheets with “thousands of signatures” in the first effort. At least 39 of those signatures were fraudulent, according to an affidavit in support of Davis’ arrest.

After prosecutors explained the charges and possible penalties, Lancaster County Judge Ryan Decker asked Davis if she understood.

“No I do not understand, and I will need counsel,” Davis said on a Zoom call from the jail.

Decker told Davis that the question was not whether or not she agreed with the charges, but if she understood that she had been charged. She agreed. Davis was held on 10% of $150,000 bond, meaning she would need to pay $15,000 to be released from jail.

Davis reported that she was not able to pay more than $500 to $1,000 in bond. Decker found that Davis’ income as an Instacart and Doordash driver made her ineligible for a public defender.

Davis will be back in court on Aug. 31.