Welcome to South Carolina....

[section 8]

Watch your back!

http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/sep/15/state_again_ranks_last_violent_crime_ran54626/

http://www.scnow.com/scp/news/local/pee_dee/article/florences_crime_ranking_subject_to_debate/20238/

http://www.wciv.com/news/stories/0908/554089.html

http://www.americashealthrankings.org/2008/crime.html

[Tommy]

So you kill someone... (http://www.wyff4.com/news/16570947/detail.html)



Defendant In Gay Man's Death Gets 2.5 Year Sentence

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. -- A man who threw a fatal punch after using an anti-gay slur pleaded guilty to manslaughter Wednesday and was sentenced to less than three years in prison.

Stephen Moller was charged in the death of Sean Kennedy in May of 2007.

Moller served about seven months in jail and was released on bond after his charges were downgraded from murder to manslaughter.

On Wednesday, a judge sentenced Moller to five years in prison, suspended to three years and with seven less months for time served. His attorney said he will probably serve about a year and a half.

Moller and Kennedy were outside Brews bar on Pelham Road when Moller used a slur and punched Kennedy, who was openly gay.

Kennedy fell to the ground and hit his head on the pavement. He died about 20 hours later.

Moller addressed the court Wednesday.

He said, "I wish that young people weren't allowed to be out late at night and the bars were not allowed to serve them alcohol. I think if that hadn't taken place, we wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be here today."

For Kennedy's mother, the apology was not enough

"You know, I knew that he was going to make an apology because that looks good in the court," Elke Kennedy said. "I'm not ready to accept that apology at this point."

Family Points To Transcript Of Call

Kennedy's family said that gay slurs that were used by Moller in a phone call that he made to a friend of Sean Kennedy about 15 minutes after he assaulted Kennedy showed that it was a hate crime.

This is a transcript of the call that was read in court before Moller's sentence:

"Hey. (laughter) Whoa stop. (laughter) Hey, I was just wondering how your boyfriend's feeling right about now. (laughter) (??) knocked the f--- out. (laughter). The f------ faggot. He ought to never stick his mother-f------ nose (??) Where are you going? Just a minute. (laughter). Yea boy, your boy is knocked out, man. The mother-------. Tell him he owes me $500.00 for breaking my god---- hand on his teeth that f------ bitch"

South Carolina does not have legislation that allows the designation of a hate crime.

Attorney, Victim's Mother React To Sentence

Following the sentence, Elke Kennedy said, "There was no justice today for Sean. The sentence that Stephen Moller received, in my opinion, is a joke and a slap on the wrist. Once again, it proves that in South Carolina there is no justice."

She said, "I understand that the judge had to sentence according to the plea agreement and the existing restrictions under the law. But it doesn't make it any easier for me. Our judicial system, in my opinion, is a joke."

Kennedy said, "Our solicitor invited me to help him with the changing these laws. Well, Mr. Ariail, I am here and I am willing."

"I will still continue to push to get laws changed so no other mother has to stand here to tell you the same things," she said.

Defense attorney Ryan Beasley said, "After several months of investigating and getting statements from Sean's friends, there was no evidence whatsoever that there was any kind of hatred toward Sean Kennedy or hatred toward gays. I mean, Stephen had no idea he was gay until after the fact. It's just a freak incident that should never have happened."

Beasley said that involuntary manslaughter was the appropriate charge because it is legally defined as "the unintentional killing of another without malice, but while engaged in an unlawful activity not naturally tending to cause death or great bodily harm; or the unintentional killing of another without malice, while engaged in a lawful activity with reckless disregard for the safety of others."

Beasley said he thinks the sentence was harsh.

"In my opinion, I think it's too much because he's a kid. And he punched somebody just like anybody else has punched somebody in a bar. It's always wrong and he does deserve to be punished. But I think it's just a freak incident that he died," he said.

"It doesn't matter how much time he got," Beasley said. "He's going to be devastated by this for the rest of his life."

Group Says Sentence Not Appropriate

A group called South Carolina Equality compared some other sentences with what Kennedy will serve. They said felony ill treatment of animals (torture or killing) is punishable by up to five years in prison, with sentences raging from 180 days to five years. Cockfighting is punishable with sentences ranging from one to three years and/or a $1,000 fine.

Technically an old story, but with a new twist, Moller might be up for parole this February, which would make his prison sentence less than a year for killing someone.

[section 8]

WHAT?!

We are a death penalty state!

[Cam63]

So you kill someone... (http://www.wyff4.com/news/16570947/detail.html)



Technically an old story, but with a new twist, Moller might be up for parole this February, which would make his prison sentence less than a year for killing someone.

That prick has a shitload of Karma comin'.

[Solaris]

So you kill someone... (http://www.wyff4.com/news/16570947/detail.html)



Technically an old story, but with a new twist, Moller might be up for parole this February, which would make his prison sentence less than a year for killing someone.


Seeing as how the judicial system sucked canal water on this one (going by that phone transcript, the defense attorney is lying through his teeth)... I hope this asshole has been somebody's cute little bitch in prison for a long time now. :mad:

And I certainly hope he doesn't get paroled next month---why, he might go out and beat a dog or start a cockfight! Given the averages quoted, it looks like that's the only way he'd get more time than for killing a gay guy.

And yeah, that "apology" was nothing of the sort. He tried to blame it on bars, the law, drinking, and being a kid... and never once in that statement did I see anything remotely resembling "I ended someone's life and I'm sorry." Even that much, considering how his case apparently rested on lies as to "this was never a hate crime, it was a horrible accident" could have been done by him. Instead, he tried to throw the blame on "the system."

Jerk.

[heystacy]

:redface: :redface: :redface: :redface:

[jhota]

i like it here in (Charleston/Summerville) SC. and i never feel afraid to walk the streets at night downtown, even on the East Side.

but i stay the heck out of many areas in North Charleston, whatever the time of day.

[heystacy]

i like it here in (Charleston/Summerville) SC. and i never feel afraid to walk the streets at night downtown, even on the East Side.

but i stay the heck out of many areas in North Charleston, whatever the time of day.

I'm from North Charleston (the section that used to be Chas Heights). The old neighborhood is going to the dogs of late...:frown:

[section 8]

I am from McColl, near the NC/SC border In the Florence Darlington area.

It was always rough,
But it is constantly getting worse, and the Economy is shit! which was why I had to leave