900 indictments from 1 day thrown out, but charges persist

YORK, S.C. – The more than 900 indictments issued by a South Carolina grand jury in a single day have been thrown out.

Twenty-seven lawyers had challenged York County’s June indictments, saying grand jurors averaged 39 seconds per case. The Herald cites Circuit Court Judge Dan Hall’s Friday ruling that said grand jurors had an “unnecessary and unreasonable burden.” Prosecutor Kevin Brackett argued they chose to hear all 904 cases in one day.

But Judge Hall’s ruling neither throws out the pending criminal charges against more than 400 people nor orders the seating of a new grand jury.

No appeals have yet been filed.

Brackett’s office is consulting with the Office of the Attorney General to determine the order’s implications. Defence attorney Gary Lemel says defence lawyers are considering appealing for a new grand jury.

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Information from: The Herald, http://www.heraldonline.com