Suspended magistrate cleared of assault charge
ANDERSON - A suspended South Carolina magistrate has been cleared of assault charges after he was accused of grabbing a woman at a bar last year.
Multiple media outlets reported that a jury took less than 20 minutes Tuesday to decide former Anderson County magistrate Mike Smith was not guilty of simple assault.
Smith had been accused of grabbing a woman inappropriately at the bar in Williamston on May 31, 2008. Smith was suspended by the South Carolina Supreme Court in June 2008 while the case was handled.
The former bar owner testified Smith came up from behind her and grabbed her. She identified him by his sunglasses.
Smith said he never touched the woman. His attorneys say it will take time for Smith to be reinstated.
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MP (anonymous) says...
She identified him by his sunglasses? No wonder he was found innocent.
June 17, 2009 at 9:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
barterman1955 (anonymous) says...
all a woman has to do in our politically correct society these days is to make an allegation no matter how unsubstantiated it is and you're going to court.what they should do is not put the name of the accused(the same way the alleged victim's name is withheld)in the paper until they are convicted.just the allegation smears the accused person's name because people will say that the person had a good attorney or knew someone to get off,not that they were actually innocent.you also see this in numerous divorce cases contending child and spousal abuse to get the upper hand in the negotiations.the end result in not publishing these names would be that an accused person isn't stigmatized and if they are convicted they would still get the punishment that they deserved.
June 17, 2009 at 12:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ysillyme (anonymous) says...
B-Man1955~
In this politically correct world in which we live the deck is stacked against anyone accused of a sex crime. By omitting the name of the accused the femanazis can't beat their drums and wage a war against those with a male appendage.
June 17, 2009 at 12:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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