November 14, 2016 | Criminal Law
In South Carolina, burglary is the word used to describe three explicit offenses that relate to the unlawful entry of residences or buildings. If an individual is accused of unlawfully entering a building with the intent to commit a crime while inside, then that person may be charged and prosecuted… read more
October 22, 2016 | Criminal Law
Search warrants in South Carolina typically authorize searching for and seizing certain items that law enforcement reasonably believes could be evidence or potential evidence of a crime. There are many circumstances for which issuing a search warrant is appropriate. Search warrants under South… read more
September 16, 2016 | Criminal Law
South Carolina is tough on drug offenses, and possessing a modest quantity of an illegal material can leave you facing a possible jail term and substantial fines. Depending on the nature of your charges, the quantity of drugs involved, and how they were used or sold, you can also face federal… read more
August 24, 2016 | Criminal Law
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) , as many as 315 South Carolina residents lose their lives every year in drunk driving accidents and thousands more suffer from crash-related injuries. All car accidents are potentially dangerous and often deadly, but drunk… read more
July 13, 2016 | Criminal Law
A South Carolina DUI auto accident resulted in a tragic loss of life and felony charges for one driver. 24 year old Destiny Mills was driving under the influence of alcohol, causing her to rear-end the vehicle of 21 year old Olivia Johnson, who was ejected from the vehicle and killed. Two others… read more
April 6, 2016 | Criminal Law
South Carolina’s poor defendants are frequently put on trial without the benefit of legal representation in the state’s low-level criminal courts, reports a new study by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The study also found that… read more
March 28, 2016 | Criminal Law
As state lawmakers take up the debate on the proposed upcoming $7.5 billion budget, some are pushing to make room in the plan to pay for 39 new domestic violence prosecutors requested by Gov. Nikki Haley earlier this year. The additional prosecutors, along with other changes to the criminal code,… read more
March 15, 2016 | Criminal Law
A study by researchers at the UK’s University of Sheffield reveals what many have suspected: there is an unfair racial disparity in criminal sentencing . The researchers focused on sentencing patterns in South Carolina to uncover a bias at the expense of African Americans, who are often sentenced… read more
March 14, 2016 | Criminal Law
RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT: DO NOT TALK TO THE POLICE WITHOUT A LAWYER! You have the right to remain silent, which is also known as the right against self-incrimination. In Miranda v. Arizona , 384 U.S. 436 (1966), the United States Supreme Court established "certain procedural safeguards that require… read more
February 25, 2016 | Criminal Law
A recent survey conducted among likely South Carolina primary voters found that the majority favored reforming drug laws to emphasize treatment rather than incarceration, with an overwhelming majority (65%) responding that drug charges should primarily be treated as a “health problem” rather than a… read more