Magistrate Reprimanded For “Beat Your Ass” Comment

The South Carolina Supreme Court issued a public reprimand of a county magistrate for misconduct while presiding over bond court.

When a defendant questioned the bond set, the magistrate asked him whether he was calling him a liar. The defendant responded: “No, I’m not going anywhere.”

The magistrate’s problem came with the next comment: “Okay. Because I’ll beat your ass if you call me a liar.”

The magistrate regretted the comment and explained that his disabled three-year-old son awoke at 2 am that morning and, as a result, he was unable to get back to sleep. (Mike Frisch)