Councillor Jax Fox faces court over driving while attending Zoom meeting

A Hobart city councillor has learned their fate in court after controversially tuning into a council meeting via Zoom while driving. WHAT HAPPENED >>

COUNCILLOR Jax Fox has walked out of court without a criminal conviction after they controversially tuned into a Hobart City Council meeting via Zoom while driving.

On Tuesday in the Hobart Magistrates Court, a charge against Fox of driving a motor vehicle with a visual display visible was dismissed after police complaint failed to list the details of the alleged offence.

A police prosecutor said they wouldn’t challenge the finding.

“We can’t amend the complaint – it is deficient,” the prosecutor said.

Magistrate Andrew McKee told Fox – previously known as Cr Ewin – that they were “free to go”.

Councillor Jax Fox has walked out of court without a criminal conviction after they controversially tuned into a Hobart City Council meeting via Zoom while driving.

Speaking outside court, Cr Fox told the Mercury they were happy their complaint had been dismissed, adding it was “f---ing stressful going to court”.

“I’m obviously pretty happy with the outcome,” they said.

“I’m just kind of pissed off at the enormous waste of time and public money.”

Fox didn’t comment on whether they thought the charge brought against them was fair. “I just thought it was dumb,” they said.

The 30-year-old had pleaded not guilty to the crime, previously claiming via a public Facebook post they’d acted within the law at all times by using a hands-free Bluetooth function.

“I always try to do my job to the best of my ability, which includes showing up, obeying Covid guidelines and road rules, all of which I believe I’m aware of enough to know that I was acting within the law,” they told the Mercury at the time.

After the social media post, Tasmania Police said it was investigating the case, noting it was an offence to drive a vehicle with a television receiver or visual display unit while a car was moving, or stationary but not parked – if the screen was visible to the driver from the normal driving position or if it was likely to distract another driver.

Cr Fox previously told the Mercury they had joined the meeting via a Zoom video link as they were on their way home from buying medication and were too unwell to join the meeting in person.

The incident attracted widespread commentary from social media users and Mercury online readers.