One of the protesters hauled out of a chaotic Jacksonville City Council meeting in May 2025 is now headed to jail. On Friday, a judge sentenced Conor Cauley to 60 days in the Duval County jail and 150 hours of community service. In the same case, Leah Grady was ordered to complete 50 hours of community service, write an apology to the council president, and review the council's rules.
Sentencing and court orders
Judge Mark Borello handed down the sentence after juries found Cauley guilty of battery on an officer and resisting. Along with jail time and community service, the judge issued a no-contact order between Cauley and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office officer he was found to have struck. Those specific sentencing terms were detailed by First Coast News.
How the council meeting unraveled
The disturbance erupted on May 27, 2025, during the public-comment period, after council leaders ordered the removal of attendees they said were disrupting the meeting. Video and arrest reports show officers pulling Cauley across a row of seats, and officials later recovered a small folding "credit-card" style knife in his wallet. Two women were also arrested that night. Those timelines and the early reaction from city officials were reported by Jacksonville Today.
Convictions and court history
Earlier this month, a jury convicted Cauley of resisting with violence and battery on a law-enforcement officer, while Grady was found guilty of resisting without violence, according to court coverage. Prosecutors had initially charged Cauley with an additional count tied to a concealed-weapon allegation, but that charge was later dropped, narrowing the case before sentencing. News4Jax reported on the verdicts and the case timeline.
Defense and community response
Cauley’s attorney has asked the court to set aside the guilty verdicts and has pushed for either time served or a new trial, arguing that the process should not force admissions the defense disputes. Supporters showed up with character letters and protests outside the courthouse, while several council members and community organizations weighed in publicly on the arrests. Coverage of those pre-sentencing motions and the defense strategy was carried by Action News Jax.
Legal implications
Battery on an officer can carry serious penalties, and prosecutors at one point said Cauley faced up to several years in prison before charges were narrowed and plea talks fell apart. Grady’s case was handled at the misdemeanor level, which the judge addressed with community service and educational requirements instead of jail. Those legal details and prosecutorial comments were outlined in coverage by News4Jax.
With sentences now in place, defense lawyers say they will keep pressing post-trial motions and potential appeals. Advocates on both sides of the case say the fallout has left Jacksonville split over how far protest can go inside City Hall before it crosses the line from political speech into unlawful disruption. Those courthouse filings and pre-sentencing developments were documented in local reporting.
