By MIKE CAPUTO
Jacobs appeared in court on Monday for an arraignment on charges of criminal contempt for violating a Family Court Order of Protection, officials said. According to court records, Judge Denise Sher granted Jacobs an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, meaning that if he is not arrested within a year, the charges will be dropped.
A spokeswoman for the Nassau County District Attorney's Office said the charges involved text messages Jacobs sent to his ex-wife, Eva Jacobs. "It involved certain text messages that annoyed her, in violation of a Family Court Order of Protection," the spokeswoman said.
Eva Jacobs could not be reached for comment.
Police said that Steven Jacobs was arrested by police in front of his Westbury home in the early-morning hours of Jan. 1. He was released later that afternoon, authorities said.
In a letter read aloud at the Feb. 5 East Meadow School District Board of Education work session, a district resident inquired about an unnamed trustee possibly being arrested on child molestation charges. The district attorney's spokeswoman emphasized that the Jacobs case involved no allegations of child molestation or sexual abuse, and Jacobs stressed the same point. He expressed optimism about the eventual dismissal of the charges against him.
"The text message involved a request for payment pursuant to a stipulation of settlement in the divorce, and the only threat in the text message was that I threatened to take her to court," Jacobs said. "I consented to this disposition on advice of counsel because in time the matter will be dismissed anyway, and if I went to trial it would take more time, and I believe the matter would have been dismissed ultimately."
Jacobs added that the court order allows him to communicate with his ex-wife through e-mail or text messages, but only if the discussion involves visits with their three children. He said he had not yet been granted an opportunity to defend himself against the allegations included in the Family Court order.
Jacobs said he did not intend to resign from the school board. His term expires in 2010. "I maintain my commitment to the children of the district, the taxpayers and my own children," he said, "and I will continue to endeavor to do my best to serve the best interests of this community."
Brian O'Flaherty, president of the East Meadow school board, released a statement on the situation. "The board has recently learned of Mr. Jacobs' arrest," O'Flaherty said. "Mr. Jacobs is working on putting this legal issue behind him. We hope whatever the outcome is and whatever the decision he makes, he knows our hearts go out to his children during this trying time."
Comments about this story? MCaputo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
