Robert Scott, the Peekskill Common Council member charged with filing false documents more than a year ago, is leaving local courts and heading to a grand jury where the jurors will decide if there is enough evidence to bring an indictment.
At a hearing in White Plains City Court on Tuesday, July 8, Scott’s attorney Mayo Bartlett and Westchester County Assistant District Attorney Sheila Horgan agreed to waive the case off the local calendar and move to a grand jury. The grand jury does not yet have a date confirmed to be seated.
“All I can do is stay positive, stay focused on what’s important to me, which is my family, my work, and my community,” Scott told the Peekskill Herald following his July 8 appearance.
On April 30, 2024, Scott was charged with filing false documents. He was issued a desk appearance ticket at that time and charged with filing designating petitions containing forged signatures, a Class E felony, for a seat on the Westchester County Board of Legislators in the June 2023 Democratic primary election. According to the District Attorney’s office, there is a wide range of potential sentences associated with the felony charge, ranging from a minimum of probation up to a maximum of one and a third to four years in state prison.
The district attorney alleged in 2023 that Scott’s petitions contained forged signatures of eight individuals who told DA Office investigators that they never signed a petition for the defendant.
In a published report in 2023, Scott denied forging signatures on his petitions and said that he was stunned to learn that his petition included the names of people who had not signed, including three names who were deceased.
Since first being arraigned on April 30, 2024, Scott has appeared before the court 13 times, according to the New York State Unified Court System, the majority of which were adjournments.
At a hearing in White Plains Court on Feb. 19, 2025, Scott’s attorney told the judge that the District Attorney’s office would now accept a guilty plea to a misdemeanor along with community service to resolve the case. The plea agreement would not require Scott to step down as a council member.
Scott’s term ends November 2025. He is not seeking re-election.
The upcoming grand jury will allow Scott the opportunity to testify. Asked if he planned on doing so, Scott told the Herald he wasn’t yet sure. Scott’s attorney Bartlett declined to comment on the case.
