Carolina

South Carolina Activates Price Gouging Law in Response to Wildfire State of Emergency

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Augusta, Ga. – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has activated the state’s price gouging statutes following Governor Henry McMaster’s declaration of a state of emergency in response to widespread wildfires. This law enforcement action aims to protect consumers from excessively high prices for essential goods and services during the ongoing crisis. The triggering of the price gouging law is a direct consequence of the state of emergency and is intended to prevent businesses from exploiting the disaster by inflating prices on commodities such as food, water, gas, and hotel accommodations. South Carolinians who suspect … Read more

Jury Grants $250,000 to South Carolina Inmate Blinded by Guard’s Pepper Spray

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Columbia, SC – A jury in Richland County has granted a $250,000 award to a former inmate who claimed he was rendered blind in one eye after a correctional officer used pepper spray on him. This incident, which has spotlighted the use of force in state correctional facilities, occurred after the inmate allegedly failed to comply with an order during his incarceration at the Broad River Correctional Institution. The inmate, Michael Gibson, reported that during the 2018 incident, the correctional officer, identified in the lawsuit as Sergeant Johanna Smith, used excessive force by directly spraying … Read more

North Carolina Court Evaluates Alleged Animal Cruelty in Poultry Production Amid Legal Exemption Controversy

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RALEIGH, N.C. — In North Carolina, a contentious legal battle unfolds as a Burke County poultry operation faces allegations of violating state animal cruelty laws. Legal Impact for Chickens represents the plaintiff in the case, arguing that Case Farms, the defendant, has committed acts of "intentional cruelty” under the protection of an exemption within state law. The case, now before the North Carolina Court of Appeals, is drawing scrutiny from major agricultural bodies, signaling wide-reaching implications for the state’s poultry and pork industries. The lawsuit contends that Case Farms knowingly engages in practices such as … Read more

New Scam Alert in North Carolina: Jury Duty Con Artists Use a ‘Helpful’ Tactic to Fool Victims

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Greensboro, N.C. — A new variation of a well-known phone scam is circulating, where the caller, posing as a law enforcement officer, attempts to exploit the victim’s fears about missing jury duty but adopts a seemingly helpful approach to manipulate targets into paying fictitious fines. Local resident Phillip Oakley reported his experience with this sophisticated scam. According to Oakley, the scammer, who claimed to be a deputy from the sheriff’s office, initiated the call by questioning if Oakley had received prior communications from the district attorney’s office or a legal notice in the mail. The … Read more