» Child Abuse
Homicide by Child Abuse: Reconciling Recent Court Opinions
February 12th, 2014
On December 11, 2013, the South Carolina Supreme Court decided State v. Hepburn, holding “the State did not present substantial circumstantial evidence sufficient to warrant the denial of [Ashley Hepburn’s] mid-trial directed verdict motion.” T…
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Supreme Court Watch: 2013 Year in Review
January 2nd, 2014
2013 was a major year in criminal law for the South Carolina Supreme Court. Interviews in Child Sexual Abuse Cases – In January 2013, our Supreme Court decided State v. Kromah, hopefully putting to rest prosecution attempts to improperly bolster ch…
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Categories: Blog
Tags: Assault & Battery, Castle Doctrine, Child Abuse, Circumstantial Evidence, Criminal Sexual Conduct, Death Penalty, Directed Verdict, ex post facto, General Sessions Docket Management, Homicide, Jury Instructions, Lewd Act, Murder, Post Conviction Relief (PCR), Protection of Persons and Property Act, Satellite Monitoring, SC Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, SC Public Defender Association, SC Supreme Court Watch, State v. Langford, Waiver Doctrine, Year in Review
Independent Mental Evaluations of Children Alleging Sexual Abuse
July 11th, 2013
Defense counsel should consider requesting an independent mental evaluation of a child alleging sexual abuse in two circumstances. The first is when the prosecution might seek to introduce through the counselor opinion evidence about rape trauma. For…
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Finally Finishing Forensic Interviews? No, but Why and What Comes Next?
July 11th, 2013
“Forensic interviewers might be useful as a tool to aid law enforcement officers in their initial investigative process, but this does not make their work appropriate for use in the courtroom.” State v. Kromah, 401 S.C. 340, 357 (fn. 5), 737 S.E.…
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Preview of Upcoming Blog Posts for Blues, Bar-B-Q, and Bar CLE
June 9th, 2013
On Friday, July 12, 2013, the South Carolina Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers will host the 8th Blues, Bar-B-Q, and Bar CLE at the Arts Center at the Federal Building, in Greenwood, South Carolina. This seminar coincides with the 13th Annual S…
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