Ex-S.C. cop gets 20 years in prison for fatally shooting Walter Scott, an unarmed black man

a reply to: MotherMayEye

I think part of it could be, is that in the state mistrial only one juror prevented him from being convicted of murder. The prosecution wanted life in prison, and there were still pending state and federal charges.

I'm only speculating, but it seems he had limited options, and took the best one he thought he had (pleading guilty to the civil rights violation).

That is only my opinion, though.

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: MotherMayEye

The guilty plea was to federal charges, so there's nothing odd about that. He entered his plea to the charge of deprivation of civil rights under color of law.

In that statute, it gives a penalty for if the deprivation came in the form of a killing. For the purpose of determining the number of years to give, the judge had to determine what level of homicide the killing fell in to in the US Code, not the state code.

Two different trials at two different levels of government with different sets of charges.

I will just have to research this on my own to grasp it.

I have been down with the flu for a week....I'm struggling to understand or explain anything, ATM. I'd like to sleep until tomorrow night if I could.

ETA: I am not offering ATS much, right now, by way of great thinking. Sorry.

a reply to: Shamrock6

Am I an ex-con? No.

Me neither. Think about it. Cop gets sentenced to GP in large prison, walks onto yard first time and... bumps into somebody he put there.

a reply to: intrptr

Several months into his term, Smith was confronted in the prison yard by an inmate who recognized him as a former officer, Chuck said. "He denied he was" a former officer, the lawyer said. "It was very scary because there were other people in the yard listening to this confrontation. "About the worst thing you can be in prison other than a child molester is an ex-cop," he said. "He lives in constant fear that he will meet someone in prison who will recognize him."

Sorta like that you mean?

I don't know what else to say, man. I'm gonna go with what actual ex-cops have had to say about their stays in prison, what their attorneys have said, and what prison administrators say about it rather than go with what you have to say about it.

a reply to: Tekaran

Your free to do so..I doubt you were ever denied the right to do so.

a reply to: Edumakated

It is justice,eyewitness video account of what actually happened,cop lied,was caught,how can that be construed as a travesty,other then he should of got a longer sentence

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: intrptr

Several months into his term, Smith was confronted in the prison yard by an inmate who recognized him as a former officer, Chuck said. "He denied he was" a former officer, the lawyer said. "It was very scary because there were other people in the yard listening to this confrontation. "About the worst thing you can be in prison other than a child molester is an ex-cop," he said. "He lives in constant fear that he will meet someone in prison who will recognize him."

Sorta like that you mean?

I don't know what else to say, man. I'm gonna go with what actual ex-cops have had to say about their stays in prison, what their attorneys have said, and what prison administrators say about it rather than go with what you have to say about it.

Thats fine. You should by now be aware I never believe the official story, especially the one beginning with, "Official sources said today..."

Everyone needs to get the facts straight about this case. There was no trial. Slager pled guilty to depriving Scott of his civil tights under color of law. At the guilty plea, a sentencing hearing was set. In order to apply the correct sentencing guidelines under the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984. the judge needed to determine what the underlying offense was that denied Scott of his rights. The judge determined that it was 2nd degree murder. 20 years falls within the guidelines. And there is no parole in the federal system. You do get a small "dood time" credit but 20 years pretty much means 20 years.

a reply to: F4guy

Everyone needs to get the facts straight about this case. There was no trial.

There was no federal trial, but there was originally a state trial, which resulted in a mistrial.

Otherwise, you are correct.

a reply to: Edumakated


I still don’t understand why the victim was running away if he wasn’t guilty of anything.