Jury Acquits Matthews in Petition Forgery Case
A Palm Beach County man accused of forging 463 petitions for an abortion-rights ballot initiative was found not guilty on all counts.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Criminal Justice
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A jury acquitted Jeremy Matthews, 34, of all charges tied to forging petition signatures for an abortion-rights ballot initiative. Matthews was one of more than 60 people in Palm Beach County suspected of submitting sham petitions ahead of the 2024 election.
Why it matters
The verdict addresses a case that drew attention to the integrity of Florida's ballot initiative petition process. Florida investigators said Matthews submitted 463 forged petitions across four counties, and the outcome shows how difficult such cases can be to prove at trial.
Matthews was acquitted on all 58 counts of fraud after a weeklong trial in which he faced a possible sentence of three to 15 years on the most serious charge. The defense argued that others involved in the petition process were never investigated as suspects.
The players
Jeremy Matthews
A 34-year-old man who was the defendant in the petition fraud trial and rejected a five-year plea deal.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
The state agency whose investigators built the case alleging Matthews submitted 463 forged petitions.
The details
Investigators with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said each forged petition carried Matthews' signature attesting to its legitimacy, and one bore the signature of a dead woman. Matthews did not deny the signatures were forgeries; the jury deliberated for a morning before returning not-guilty verdicts, and he was represented by the Office of the Public Defender.
Timeline
Ahead of the 2024 election, Palm Beach County suspects submitted sham petitions.
The weeklong trial of Matthews ended with the jury's verdict on November 5, 2026.
Legal Context
The case arose from a wave of suspected sham petitions in Florida's 2024 ballot initiative cycle, with more than 60 people in Palm Beach County alone under suspicion. The acquittal shows how hard it can be to convict individuals in petition fraud cases even when forgery is not denied.
Florida voters who sign ballot petitions should be aware that forged signatures have led to criminal charges across several counties. The verdict shows that prosecutors must meet a high burden of proof, which affects how election-related fraud cases are pursued statewide.
The takeaway
Ballot petition integrity depends on verification, and this case shows that proving intent in forgery prosecutions can be difficult even when signatures are not disputed. Readers following elections should watch how Florida's 2024 petition investigations develop beyond this single trial.
Further reading
For related coverage of court outcomes and prosecutions, see Criminal Justice reporting on Florida cases.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Palm Beach Post.
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