Domestic Violence Suspension

A  retroactive suspension of six months has been imposed by the South Carolina Supreme Court

Respondent was admitted to practice law in South Carolina in 2013, and he has no prior disciplinary history. On January 19, 2022, Respondent was arrested and charged with first-degree domestic violence, a felony. Respondent failed to self-report his arrest to ODC. On October 4, 2022, the Seventh Judicial Circuit Solicitor informed ODC of Respondent’s arrest. Respondent was placed on interim suspension on October 7, 2022.

On December 12, 2022, Respondent pled guilty to second-degree domestic violence, a misdemeanor. Respondent was sentenced to a determinate term of time served (one day) and was required to pay court costs of $128.13, which he paid on May 2, 2023. As part of his sentence, Respondent is prohibited from possessing, transporting, receiving, or shipping a firearm or ammunition. The facts supporting Respondent’s guilty plea indicate that in Spartanburg County, on January 14, 2022, Respondent assaulted his wife, striking her in her head and face multiple times, leaving visible injuries. Respondent’s three minor children, ages nine, six, and three, witnessed Respondent’s assault of their mother, and Respondent’s nine-year-old son ran to a nearby home for help.

Respondent’s position

In his affidavit in mitigation, Respondent expresses regret and remorse and explains that since the incident, he has completed approximately 125 hours of therapy and counseling services, including a program on Domestic Violence and Healthy Relationships with a certified anger management specialist. He also states that his divorce is now final, and that he has unsupervised visitation and shares joint legal and physical custody of his three children. Respondent asks that any period of suspension be made retroactive to the date of his interim suspension and without the requirement that he appear before the Committee on Character and Fitness prior to any reinstatement to the practice of law.

The court

We find a definite suspension of six months is appropriate as a sanction for Respondent’s misconduct in committing criminal acts and failing to self-report his arrest to ODC. Accordingly, we accept the Agreement and suspend Respondent from the practice of law for a definite period of six months, retroactive to October 7, 2022, the date of his interim suspension.

The court ordered conditions as part of the sanction. (Mike Frisch)