Tag: South Carolina

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South Carolina: Police Officer Charged With Murder In Traffic Stop Shooting

Michael Slager

A South Carolina police officer has been charged with murder after witness video showed the officer shooting an unarmed man in the back.

North Charleston officer Michael Slager will now be charged with murdering Walter “Lamar” Scott, 50, who died shortly after the Saturday morning incident. A murder conviction in the state could lead to the death penalty or up to 30 years to life in prison, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

The two videos that Scott family attorney Chris Stewart said were recorded by a bystander, whose name has not been released, appear to show the moments when Scott begins to run away from the officer. While the officer’s stun gun is not visible in the video, what appears to be a string is visible stretching from Scott to Officer Slager, where it was apparently attaching the stun gun to his clothing. Scott is seen running away from Slager as the officer proceeds to fire eight successive shots in Scott’s direction before Scott falls to the ground.

“I can tell you that as a result of that video and the bad decision made by our officer he will be charged with murder and that’s not something that we like to hear,” Mayor R. Keith Summey said at a news conference this evening.

The incident began with a traffic stop by Slager, who has been with the North Charleston police department since 2009.

Watch the video below and see if the police officer had reason to “fear for his life” as he fired the fatal shots.

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South Carolina AG Asks Fourth Circuit Court To Pause On Same-Sex Marriage Appeal

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has already asked the 4th Circuit to consider his request for appeal of the overturning of his state’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Yesterday, however, he changed course and petitioned the Fourth Circuit Court to NOT rule on his previous marriage appeal until the Supreme Court issues a decision on the cases out of Sixth Circuit.

What Wilson, and Attorneys General in other states, is attempting to do is keep his options open so that should SCOTUS rule against marriage equality via the 6th Circuit cases, he can undo the ruling on his state.

Equality Case Files shares the request here.

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Thomas Roberts Counts Down This Week’s Top 5 LGBT Stories

MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts counts down the 5 biggest LGBT stories of the week, including

• Marriage equality comes to South Carolina and Montana

• Country music singers Ty Herndon and Billy Gilman come out as gay 

• A new Indiana University survey finds heterosexual support for gays is up, but straight folks are still not comfortable seeing public displays of affection among gays

• Out NBA-er Jason Collins retires from basketball

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SCOTUS Says ‘No’ To Stay On Same-Sex Marriage In South Carolina

In a 7-2 decision, the United States Supreme Court has decided to not issue an emergency stay in the ongoing political drama surrounding same-sex marriage, setting the stage for the marriages to begin in the Palmetto State at noon Thursday.

With that decision, South Carolina becomes the 35th state in the United States to allow same-sex couples to marry.

In a one page order, seven of the nine Supreme Court justices denied the stay, but Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas made a point to say they would have issued the stay.

South Carolina Attorney General released a statement shortly after the decision came down:

“When the U.S. Supreme Court. decides to consider the case, our office will be supporting the position of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is more consistent with South Carolina State law, which upholds the unique status of traditional marriage,” the statement said.

(source)

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First South Carolina Same-Sex Marriages Performed Today

Although the stay on the recent court rulings which cleared the way for same-sex marriage in South Carolina doesn’t expire until Noon tomorrow, the kids in SC are already getting hitched.

Congratulations South Carolina!

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Same-Sex Marriage To Begin Thursday In South Carolina After 4th Circuit Denies Stay

This Thursday at noon same-sex marriage will come to South Carolina now that the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the state’s request for a stay.

Last week, US District Judge Richard Mark Gergel struck down the ban. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson filed an emergency stay request asking for the court’s order to be halted pending an appeal to the full Fourth Circuit.

The entirety of today’s 2 sentence order:

“Upon consideration of submissions relative to appellant’s motion for stay pending appeal, the court denies the motion and denies the alternate request for a temporary stay.

“Entered at the direction of the panel: Judge Traxler, Judge Motz, and Judge Thacker.”

Late Tuesday night Attorney General Alan Wilson headed to SCOTUS to file for an emergency stay on the ruling. It’s unlikely to happen though, so I’m still expecting marriage equality to come to South Carolina Thursday at noon.

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South Carolina: Federal Judge Rules Same-SexMarriage Ban Unconstitutional

Today, U.S. District Court Judge Gergel ruled in favor of the freedom to marry in South Carolina, striking down the state’s ban on marriage between same-sex couples.

Normally, the state would now appeal to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals for further review.

BUT….

This ruling came after the United States Supreme Court denied review in five cases involving the freedom to marry, including a case in Virginia.

Because Virginia is in the 4th Circuit, the ruling is binding for the entire circuit, including South Carolina. Since this ruling, West Virginia and North Carolina have secured the freedom to marry.

The ruling is stayed until November 20 at noon.

UPDATE: South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has pledged in a statement to “immediately appeal” the ruling to the 4th Circuit:

“Today’s ruling comes as no surprise and does not change the constitutional obligation of this office to defend South Carolina law, including, but not necessarily limited to, appeal to the Fourt Circuit. Therefore we will immediately appeal to the Fourth Circuit.

“Also, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld traditional marriage. Therefore, we have opposing rulings between federal circuits, which means it is much more likely that the U.S. Supreme Court could resolve the matter at the national level.

“We believe this office has an obligation to defend state law as long as we have a viable path to do so. Finally, our unique law are not the same as those in other states. Therefore, based on the time-honored tradition of federalism, this Office believes South Carolina’s unique laws should have their day in court at the highest appropriate level.”

(via Freedom To Marry)

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South Carolina: Another Lawsuit Filed For Marriage Equality

A second lawsuit has been filed in South Carolina over the right to use a same-sex spouses’ last name:

Each plaintiff was married in another state and chose to change his or her surname but had an application to do so denied by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The lawsuit is against the state DMV. An agency spokeswoman did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Earlier this month, a Lexington County woman filed a similar lawsuit challenging the state’s same-sex marriage ban.

Other lawsuits challenging the ban are pending in federal court.

On Oct. 6, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision allowing same-sex marriage in Virginia. The ACLU says that ruling is binding on the state of South Carolina, which remains the only state under the 4th Circuit’s jurisdiction still enforcing its same-sex marrige ban.

(via LGBTQ Nation)

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Sen. Lindsey Graham: “White Men In Male-Only Clubs Are Going To Do Great In My Presidency”

Sen. Lindsey Graham has admitted in an interview to making eye-raising comments last month at a meeting of the Hibernian Society of Charleston.

From a recording made at the meeting which was then anonymously sent to two South Carolina Democrats:

“I’m trying to help you with your tax status. I’m sorry the government’s so f*cked up. If I get to be president, white men in male-only clubs are going to do great in my presidency.”

Graham said the Hibernian Society encourages speakers “to be earthy, to make fun of yourself, to make fun of them. Then you say something serious and sit down. And if you talk over 20 minutes, they throw something at you.”