Duval County

Gregory Timm trial: Woman says she had to jump out of the way when van plowed into GOP voter registration tent in Jacksonville in 2020

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The trial began Wednesday for a man accused of ramming his van into a Republican Party voter registration tent in East Arlington in Februrary 2020.

Action News Jax’s Bridgette Matter was in the courtroom, where she learned Gregory Timm and his attorneys intended to admit to criminal mischief, a second-degree misdemeanor.

Timm is accused of two counts of aggravated assault on a person 65 or older and criminal mischief.

In its opening arguments, the state said of Timm, “When they found him, he did not hesitate he told police he had to take a stand.”

The state told the court a witness said Timm was waving and smiling on his way over.

RELATED: Man accused of running into voter registration tent in Jacksonville told police he does not like Donald Trump

“He crashed into the tent ... she had to jump out of the way.”

The state also said Timm “bragged” to police, showing them cell phone video driving into the tent.

The state planned to show the jury videos from that day.

When the defense began opening arguments, Timm’s attorney explained that former President Donald Trump was acquitted days before police say Timm drove into the tent.

“He decided to knock over the tent and the table,” the attorney said.

The first witness, Laura Collins, a member of the Duval GOP, was registering voters in the tent the day of the incident.

“I started screaming to ‘stop, stop.’ I thought he ran into the pole because he was not paying attention,” Collins said.

Collins said had she not jumped out of the way, she thinks she would have been hit by the van.

The defense said “emotions were high” around the time this happened because Donald Trump had recently been acquitted.

Action News Jax’s Bridgette Matter is tweeting from the courtroom. Follow her updates and watch her live report on CBS47 & FOX30 Action News Jax at 5.