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Jacy Todd Found Guilty, Asks for Pardon

March 2026

Well, by now we assume you’ve heard about Todd Jacy, the now former Nebraska notary charged with improper conduct regarding a medical marijuana initiative. He was found guilty of 23 charges of official misconduct and 1 count of making a false statement under oath.

His case has sparked a firestorm in Nebraska, with both his criminal trial, but also a newer case that went all the way to the Nebraska Supreme Court.

He even threw his hat in the ring to be the next Governor. And this “setback” has not derailed his plans.

If you want to catch up on the story, please see some of our previous reporting.

As you see it has been a roller coaster ride for quite a while now. The question is if it will let up anytime soon.

Jacy Todd Found Guilty

In a three day trial, where the defense put up little fight, the jury returned a guilty verdict. Todd seemed undeterred by the loss, still fighting for his side with what he asserts were paperwork errors.

My trial was tainted by the state from the start of opening arguments,” Todd said at a press conference in the state Capitol. “The state attorney’s office denied us a fair trial.

For his part, Todd is appealing the charges.

Still Running For Governor

Undaunted by the loss, Todd has asserted he will stay in the race for Governor. He faces very long odds, but is determined to continue with his campaign.

He points to a recent no-bid contract from the Governor Pillen. In it he gave a 2.5 million contract to a company that is owned by someone he is friends with. The Governor’s office said it was an emergency contract, but the state auditor disagrees.

Jacy Todd Found Guilty, Asks for Pardon

Asking For a Pardon

Todd has already filed a request for a pardon with the Governor. What will happen to it remains to be seen.

For his part, why is his case criminal, when the no bid contract is not?

The Governor’s office has acknowledged receipt of the official pardon request.

About the Broader Issue

So, what to do as this moves on. The other center of the controversy is Michael Egbert, one of the petition circulators.

Egbert admitted to falsifying signatures and pleaded guilty to attempting to falsify his circulator’s oath on the petition.

Standing against medical marijuana are Former State Sen. John Kuehn and current Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers.

As we have said all along, the medical marijuana petition campaign was built on fraud and malfeasance and ultimately should never have been on the ballot in the first place, Hilgers said.

The courts so far have held up more than 4,000 proper signatures by Todd. Unfortunately, Michael Egbert was found to forge over 1,000 Nebraska citizens names. Only twelve of those are connected between the two.

The courts also found the alleged petitions were not numerous enough to affect the total needed to decertify the amount of signatures needed to start the ballot initiative.

Back to the Supreme Court

The Nebraska Supreme Court heard arguments over the initiative on December third, 2025. They have yet to issue a ruling.

But, the guilty verdict has opened up a new strategy and additional documents have been delivered to the court, regarding the guilty verdict.

This might also include document about the testimony of the trial.

Well, this is the gift that keeps on giving. The notary charges forward with an appeal. He continues his run to be Governor. And the roller coaster ride continues.

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Notary News and Advice

More Reading

Don’t Use Social Media for Nefarious Reasons

This one seems pretty simple, I mean everyone should know this, right.

Apparently not.

Do We Really Have to Remind People

We’re really not going to delve into any of the many notary scams running around right now. We’re just telling you to make sure you are not involved in one.

Remember, everything is saved. People take screenshots. The social media company preserves everything, even things you have deleted. They just don’t show publicly, but they are there. And this will come back to bite you in the future.

It may not be today or tomorrow, but it is coming.

Vet Who You Work With, and Let Others Know

Firstly, let your notary friends and clients know to keep an eye out for this stuff.

Before you friend someone, or reply to a direct message, ask yourself this. Does it sound too good to be true? Is there a way I can verify the veracity of this person?

If the answer is no, ignore or report it.

You don’t want to be following someone, or even liking a post, unless you know who and what you are dealing with.

And yes, this goes for your personal account as well. A lot of people can connect the company to the person. In effect, assume your personal posts are being watched as well.

Social Media Don’ts

  • Don’t friend or follow anyone you don’t know.
  • Don’t post anything that is a legal document. It may sound nice to post your signature, or a client’s. Don’t. If you do post your signature, make sure that is all it is (not a legal document). And make sure to identify it as such. We’d imagine we might see that more with new notaries, but experienced ones should be reminded as well.
  • Don’t post anything political, even personally. There is nothing dumber than alienating half of your potential client base. A couple of second lapse could be damaging.
  • Don’t post just to post. Have a good reason to post. Each social network has it’s own schedule, so make sure you can post across channels. You can write out topics you think should be great to use in the upcoming months, or you can ask AI what the most common notary prompts are.
  • Don’t cross promote your business and personal accounts. Chances are you might have a lot of unrelated stuff in your personal account, and you don’t want to send visitors away. If you have someone who is really interested in your services, send them the work url in a direct message.
  • Don’t use hashtags for the sake of using hashtags. A post should have only 1-3 hashtags. Any more than one should be relevant to the topic. Think About it. No one is searching for #MyCompany. We’d rather see on hashtag that is a little fun like #NotaryToTheRescue or #AnotherSuccessfulSigning. Don’t be afraid to be a little whimsical, as long as it goes along with your post.

Social Media Do’s

Don't Use Social Media for Nefarious Reasons

Well, it is time to get to the good stuff:

  • Do make legitimate friends and expand your network. When you post it looks more important and is spread to the right people.
  • Do post on a schedule with topics that match best practices for each social media network. So we might go to AI and ask “When should I post on Facebook and what topics should I post?” You might be surprised the right time to post and what topics are most popular. Now you can painfully put into your calendar or ask for a new prompt. “Please put the Facebook and LinkedIn posting schedule on a 2026 map in pdf format so I can download it.” You’d be amazed at what you can type in and get a response to.
  • Do use photos. Why not a photo with a client (not the signer, more like the title company). “Another great closing with the people of Sample Title Company.”
  • Do mention other accounts when Germaine, like the example above. “Another great closing with @SampleTitleCompany.” This will give you more visibility and spread the love to someone who deserves it.
  • If you have the skill, look at a meme. There are plenty of meme making websites on the internet. Keep in your lane, but have some fun. Memes have been around for a long time now, but people still love them. They create great engagement.

So simply, keep it sanitized, post on a schedule, and use your imagination a little. This is what it takes to thrive on social media.

Sunshine Signing Service

Your Nationwide Notary Signing Service

Sunshine Signing provides nationwide mobile notary and Remote Online Notarization (RON) services backed by 20 years of trusted experience in the title industry.

GET STARTED

Or Call us at (727) 817-0000

Indiana Candidates Refile Documents Due to Notary Issues

Feb. 2026

Some candidates for public office in Indiana will, or already have, updated documents to be properly notarized.

That is the word from the Secretary of State’s office.

Here are the basics. Candidates filed with properly notarized documents. But, they made amendments to the filing that were not properly notarized. This has lead to some candidates having to have amendments properly notarized.

Would It End In Court?

Yes, probably.

Advocates have called into question whether the opponent’s challenge of a candidate’s documents would be valid. The law is rigid, in that it requires the notarizations, but it also has a lot of leeway for the Secretary of State’s office to accept documents they believe to be valid.

In any case, the Secretary of State’s office said they followed all procedures. Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales’s office had a response to the issue:

Candidates should be assured that the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office takes every precaution necessary to guarantee candidate filing paperwork is completed according to Indiana law,” Morales said in the statement. “As Indiana’s chief election officer, I will continue serving Hoosiers and not allow misleading reports to discredit confidence in our state’s election process.

Completing the Process

As ballot seekers raced to complete paperwork, the biggest reason cited was not allowing their opponent to challenge.

One State Senator called it annoying.

Still, others came to re-file with a more positive spirit.

Late filers had an advantage.

Two days before the deadline, and new paperwork was still rolling in. But, most of these candidates had heard of the fuss and properly notarized all of their documents before submitting their paperwork.

A state Senator remarked that people have to ensure that everything is done diligently and properly.

To Wrap Up

Indiana Candidates Refile Documents Due to Notary Issues

The Secretary of State’s office kerfuffle looks to have been solved by following the law to the letter. Legal challenges to candidates’ filing status should be averted.

But, the Secretary of State’s office points to a previous law challenge that complicated the situation for some, specifically in Lake County. Lake County requires all potential candidates to apply in person at the county office.

Staff used to be able to notarize documents in the building, but an office move led to a lawsuit. It alleged that county personnel that are notaries should not be able to notarize documents.

It did not succeed, but the office went through some confusion during the lawsuit. The court ended up ruling in favor of the Lake County Clerk’s Office.

For their part, the Lake County Clerk’s Office has moved to avert any confusion. It has been conveyed to employees that they may also become notaries. They already have half a dozen on staff.

Hey, we’re always for documents being signed correctly. So, we don’t see how this ended in any other outcome ended in “Use a Notary”!

Sunshine Signing Service

Your Nationwide Notary Signing Service

Sunshine Signing provides nationwide mobile notary and Remote Online Notarization (RON) services backed by 20 years of trusted experience in the title industry.

GET STARTED

Or Call us at (727) 817-0000

Maine Notaries Warned of Scammers

Jan 2026

We missed this when it was first released in October, but it is still ongoing so it is still a good idea to remind everyone. While this is currently happening in Maine, there is no reason it will not spread to other states that are vulnerable.

The Maine Secretary of State gave a warning of current scams targeting notaries, including those acting as wedding officiants.

The “Maine Scam”

Beware of over payments.

So this is how it goes. Client hires you to do a signing. Everything goes fine until after the signing.

The trick comes when you get paid. The client pays you too much money for the signing. Then they inevitably ask for you to refund the over payment. This is red flag #1.

Anyways, being the honest business person you are, you gladly refund the money. But, a bad surprise awaits. Your original payment either bounces or if digital, the payment is withdrawn.

Now you are out of the money for your services, but also for the refund.

So What Do I Do?

Maine Notaries Warned of Scammers

“I urge anyone who receives an “overpayment” for services to be vigilant,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. “Refuse the initial payment and ask that they resend it in the proper amount or wait for the payment to clear before any refund is sent. And if you accept digital payments, make sure you understand the policies of the platform you use. If you were scammed out of any money, contact your local law enforcement.”

So, it seems like we need to do a couple of things.

If someone overpays, refuse it. Request payment in the proper amount. It can quickly turn into a game of three card monte. And we know you always lose that game. Make sure your red flag alert is in full gear still.

We think the more important part is to make sure you got paid for your services before you deal with the potential scammer again. Make sure the money is in your account. And make sure you have all your ducks in a row when it comes with your payment service.

It was re-iterated that if you are being hussled or have already been scammed, contact your local law enforcement, which seems pretty obvious to us.

Always Protect Yourself

We always preach to protect yourself during signings. Ensure the signer is who they say they are, and not acting under distress. Make sure all of the documents are lined up and no information is missing. Make sure to keep your log up to date, etc.

Well, protect yourself for payments as well. Stay on top of it. Make sure you have the money.

And Beware of Over Payments.