Clarke Newton

When most people think about white collar crime, two or three big-name, headline-making cases likely come to mind. The Enron debacle and the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme often top the list. Most white collar criminals don’t end up on the cover of the New York Times, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still a common concern, both for individuals and for businesses.  What counts as white collar crime in South Carolina? What sort of repercussions would someone convicted of white collar crime face? Let’s take a look.

Some serious changes are coming for South Carolina’s drug possession laws. New legislation aimed at addressing the growing opioid and heroin epidemic is making its way through the State House and Senate, and the South Carolina Attorney General is in the process of suing the maker of Oxycontin, one of the most well-known opioids on the market, for alleged deceptive marketing practices. The Attorney General cites Purdue Pharma “downplaying the addictive quality” of the drug as one of the main alleged deceptions. The State House and Senate aren’t waiting for the outcome of the lawsuit, however: a slate of bills were introduced as early as February by a group of Republican state lawmakers intended to address the opioid epidemic from a legislative point of view. We’ll take a look at a few of these bills, and how they could affect prescription drug possession laws in South Carolina.

New Year’s Eve is the one the biggest days of the year for parties. Whether you’re heading out on the town or to a friend’s house, hosting your own gathering, or you’re the type to curl up with a mug of tea and watch the ball drop at midnight, it’s important to stay safe and know your rights. What are your rights if the police come to your home? We have a short list of information you need to know.

As the prescription drug abuse crisis continues to grow nationwide, men and women across the country (as well as here in South Carolina) are arrested and charged in greater numbers for unlawful possession of prescription drugs. Laws on drugs, whether on simple possession or more complex issues like intent to distribute, are generally codified by the states. This means that laws on possession in California are likely to be very different than those here in South Carolina. Today, we’ll take a look at South Carolina’s laws surrounding possession of prescription drugs and what could happen if you are caught ingesting or in possession of these drugs without a doctor’s prescription.

South Carolina has been working aggressively to cut down on drivers who operate vehicles under the influence after we ranked among the top in the US for DUI fatalities. While you may associate alcohol intoxication with “driving under the influence,” that is not the only cause for a DUI.  Illegal drugs and prescription pain killers can also be a source of impairment for drivers.  It’s important to know what possible consequences you’re facing if you are charged with Driving Under the Influence. Today, we’ll walk you through what you may be looking at when charged with a first-offense DUI. Certain circumstances, such as driving under the influence with children in the car, a blood-alcohol level that is a certain amount or more over the legal limit, and other problems may lead to stricter penalties even for a first offense.