S.C. Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell has formed a committee to address the state’s criminal domestic violence (CDV) laws in an effort “to better protect our citizens and help prevent this type of abuse.”
“Our goal with this Special Committee is that, by the time session begins in January, the House will have a legislative framework ready to be introduced the first day we come back,” Harrell said in a statement announcing the formation of the committee. “Raising awareness and preventing domestic violence in South Carolina will be a priority for the House this coming year. Our state has several vital areas we need to improve upon and that is why it is important this Committee begin its work now.”
Ten lawmakers – five of whom are women – will comprise the committee, which held its first organizational meeting this week.
South Carolina ranked No. 1 in the nation in the number of women killed by men in 2011, the latest year for which data is available. According to the Washington, D.C.-based Violence Policy Center – the homicide rate for women in the Palmetto State was 2.54 per 100,000. A whopping 91 percent of those deaths was perpetrated by someone who knew the victim – and 63 percent by the victim’s “intimate partner.”
30 comments
Hey Harrell!! …. As it has been said of characters like you, “lawmakers ought not to be lawbreakers.”
Start by setting an example. Manager/Supervisor/Certified Social Worker at DSS in Spartanburg county was arrested on CDV charges. Nothing has been done, no reprecussion from her arrest. How can you advocate for victims when your own state workers do not follow the law.
I wonder what new and inventive ways this committee will find to infringe on the rights of the average, non-abusive, male in an effort to create an illusion of having done something to protect women who made exceptionally poor choices in boyfriends or husbands and who chronically will refuse to cooperate with police in prosecuting their abusive boyfriends or husbands at best, or just pull out all the stops in trying to sabotage the case against said abusive boyfriend or husband once they are through being pissed off.
While revolutionary and not recommended by the victim advocates and other professional hand-wringers who make a nice living off of conducting post-tragedy events such as candle light vigils, marches, etc, how about teaching those women who are in fear of truly evil and violent men how to shoot a handgun accurately so that the threat can be eliminated decisively and permanently during those critical seconds when help is desperately needed, but the police are minutes away? Naa! They have more fun trying to make more new, useless, feel-good, laws that restrict freedom yet do very little or nothing to protect the victims.
There are more cuckoo women out in the world than you might think.
True that! Those are the ones who use the laws like “must arrest CDV” to “get back” at their husbands or boyfriends they suspect of infidelities and similar. Those are the ones who, despite multiple serious instances of abuse by their other half, will call the cops and waste an hour or four of their time in putting together a report and building a case against him, only to do everything they can to sabotage the case once they are through being pissed off at him, “because I love him”.
“despite multiple serious instances of abuse”
Doesn’t a guy have to be cuckoo to stay with a woman like that.
Yes, in either instance!
And one flew over the cuckoo nest in Spartanburg and landed at DSS. She should be shewed away.
There are women in prisons across this country who killed their abusers. They don’t get a break in court just because LE makes frequent visits to the home when the kids call to scream about daddy beating mommy.
I’ve worked with this population and will admit to having little sympathy for women who stay, much less have children, with a man who beats them.
But, I did learn that across socioeconomic groups, these women usually stay for economic reasons. My ‘favorite’ example was the mom whose teenaged son jumped step-dad when he attacked mom and the kid was injured. Mom would not think of leaving step-dad because she would lose ‘all this’, the immaculate double wide they could only afford with two incomes.
But, please give an example of the kind of ‘useless, feel-good laws that restrict freedom yet do very little or nothing to protect victims’?
For one, laws proposed at the state level that only mimic the Lautenberg Amendment, passed during Bill Clinton’s Presidency. These laws prohibit anyone who has been convicted or even accused of CDV in some cases from possessing firearms. There have been plenty of women killed by abusers with guns who could not legally posses firearms under that law. If a criminal such as a psychotic stalker wants to do someone in and they want to use a firearm, history has shown time and time again that they will find a way to get one, laws be damned. On the other hand, Lautenberg’s law has disarmed people whose only crime was grabbing someone’s wrist to remove it from their person, but they left a bruise or red mark in the process or maybe they pushed an aggressive spouse out of the way who was blocking their exit of the residence, just as the cops arrived to see that bit of “hands-on” with no injury intended or sustained. Still it goes down as an act of “CDV”.
I am 100% with you about the women who have been charged with murder in the past, for killing abusive husbands who went out of their way to ask for it. I have a friend who is up in years, who did time for just that, back when self-defense laws were not as sensible as they are these days. I can’t count the number of articles I have read from decades ago, where women were charged with and convicted of murder or manslaughter for protecting themselves from an abusive husband. There is still room for improvement, as evidenced by the woman from Florida, with Columbia family ties, who fired a warning shot at her abusive husband and received some ridiculous sentence like 20 or 30 years. The “judge” who handed that down should be kicked off the bench for life.
I agree, more guns is the answer, not less guns. If we would make a concerted effort to get guns into the hands of inner city kids, it would solve so many problems. This whole Ferguson thing would have turned out very differently if the kid had not been an unarmed teenager.. Look at all the riots and destruction of property we could have avoided.
Your sarcasm is duly noted. Yes, these women should just call the police and wait, while the abuser kills them, same as many other victims of criminal assault do every year, and then ride the hearse to the morgue. Makes great sense.
Go make me a sandwich!
Phi- Phi-Pho-Phum……I hear Bobby Harrell chewing …..gum..!
Boomerang 101, 404, 901, 909…….
“Ten lawmakers – five of whom are women – will comprise the committee”
Ten lawmakers … will compose the committee
The committee will comprise ten lawmakers…
Correct . . . but dying.
No SC law made by these disconnected lawless rogues in the house is going to help improve anything. History proves that.
CDV — COPS: Babysitter stabbed man who refused to have sex with her…http://www.progressivestoday.com/food-fight-school-kids-tee-off-on-michelle-obama/
Hey Bobby Beat, check your link. I believe you may have pasted a different one that what you intended.
This is a copy-cat act of Chip “fat-man” Limehouse, also of Charleston, who snagged undecided female votes with similar legislation a few years back. Both of these bastards are hypocrites and don’t give a rat’s ass about women’s safety.
The term “felon” refers to a person who has been convicted of a serious crime that is greater than a misdemeanor, especially punished by a prison term of more than one year. That definition is way too broad for usage in the law that removes the individual’s Second Amendment right.
Think about it- you could be convicted (whether guilty or not) of a felony for damage or theft of U.S. Government property in the service of your duties as a civil servant in the maintenance department at FRCSE if a supervisor has it out for you. You could be subsequently be convicted (whether guilty or not) of a felony for assault on a supervisor of the U.S. Government for raising your voice in disgust or anger if a threat of violence is perceived by the court. Under the law, you will lose your right to keep and bear arms for the rest of your life for the conviction of these non-violent felonies. That is hardly fair and injures you unnecessarily.
Who knows how many convicted “felons” there are out here that can no longer defend themselves because of a conviction for non-violent crimes like grand-theft auto and the like. Grand-theft auto includes the youthful prank of joy riding someone’s Corvette on a dare when the keys were left in the car (if the value of the car was more than $1000 in some states). There are numerous felonies in which the felon does not necessarily show any inclination of violence at all.
South Carolina has amended specific laws that were once listed as misdemeanors to felonies. Then years later, amended those specific laws again, changing them back to misdemeanors. Meanwhile, 1000s had been convicted under these flip flopping laws made by the SC legislature. Talk about mixed bipolar lawmakers, like Bobby Harrell. He was behind many of these incidents I have uncovered.
This was a coordinate effort between two allies to rehab his image given his criminal behavior and ethics violations. P&C Tee’d up a great story to bring focus to a big problem in SC, and Harrell just two days later has a whole panel to find a solution ready to go. Yeah right! We need to do something about Domestic Violence, but Harrell is the last person that should be leading such an effort. Where was he 2 years, 4 year, 6 years ago on this?
Let them start with Shalonie Dawkins, Spartanburg DSS Buisness manager arrested for CDV around August 18, 2014 in Cowpens, SC. Her mugshot disappeared from the Spartanburg Herald Journal just hours after it was posted. Spartanburg DSS, SC DSS and Shalonie Dawkins all involved in trying to cover it up to save her job. I wonder if Mrs. Dawkins was one of Haley’s “welfare to work” success stories? She worked with the Adult Protective Services about six months before being promoted to Business Manager which gave her a big salary increase. Personnel manual states two reasons her termination should have already taken place – “conduct unbecoming a state employee”, and the CDV charge; take your pick! Mrs. Dawkins remains employed with the agency. I am offended my tax dollars are being used to pay her a salary.
Spartanburg DSS Scandal
DID AGENCY TRY TO SWEEP ARREST UNDER THE RUG?
The business manager at Spartanburg County’s division of the S.C. Department of Social Services (SCDSS) was arrested earlier this week and charged with first offense criminal domestic violence.
Shalonie Dawkins, 35, of Cowpens, S.C. was arrested on Monday by authorities in Spartanburg County and booked at the local detention center following her arrest. Her mugshot – which you can view HERE – appeared on the website of The (Spartanburg, S.C.) Herald Journal, the local newspaper.
Albeit briefly …
According to our sources, the Herald-Journal yanked Dawkins’ image shortly after being contacted by SCDSS officials.
Why would they do that? Well, a conviction on criminal domestic violence (CDV) charges would result in automatic termination from the agency – which makes sense considering SCDSS routinely takes children into its care due to CDV arrests. Speaking of, Dawkins reportedly has two children living under her care at the home where the arrest took place on Monday.
“If DSS is unable to hire personnel, especially those in supervisory positions, who (cannot) restrain themselves in difficult situations, how can they be preaching to the clients they work with about violence in the home?” one source told FITS.
That’s a good question … although we believe Dawkins should have her day in court before we start assuming the worst.
Sources close to the agency tell FITS the incident is “under review” and that Dawkins handles financial responsibilities – not at-risk children.
“She does not work with children or oversee case workers who work with children,” one source close to the situation told FITS.
SCDSS has been under fire (and rightly so) for its negligence in child welfare cases. In fact publicity surrounding one of those cases – which was exposed exclusively here on FITS – contributed to the resignation of S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley‘s SCDSS director, Lillian Koller.
Read more at https://www.fitsnews.com/2014/08/21/spartanburg-dss-scandal/#RGmoJYAKJkoIKUp6.99
That would seem a logical reason for Haley to allow Mrs. Dawkins to stay employed. They have flooded local offices with new employees hired over more experianced people to cook the numbers of welfare to work. If an individual is on foodstamps or welfare they get the job faster than jane or john doe from the general public.
well Bobby, where do you weigh in on THIS?
Perhaps they should appoint Shalonie Dawkins to Bobby Harrell’s CDV task force. She could offer inside information to the group. If she gets terminated, as she rightfully should, she could be the poster child for a billboard campaign across SC. Close your eyes and imagine her mugshot on a fast food ad asking, “Do you want fries with that?” Underneath a quote saying – ” I beat my husband and lost my cushy job with the State of SC. CDV is an equal opportunity crime. It’s not just for men anymore.”
Her mugshot WAS removed quickly! Why? Is this being looked at by Mr, Harrill?
Appaling! If this is true someone has to answer for this. A CDV panel formed but employee working with an arrest FOR CDV?
Terminated? Ha. Like they would fire their token black manager. She would sue Got to keep those % numbers up. Just like Bobby nuthin but a violent thug who cant be touched.
What a joke, isn’t this a lot like having the fox watch the hen house
Maybe if you take a look at spartanburg DSS instead of allowing it to be covered up we could take this more serious
Nothing I love more than double standards
If you can’t have state employes abide by these standards
Don’t expect those who pay your salaries to uphold ours