Post by Critique on Jan 13, 2007 2:16:11 GMT -5
AIKEN, SOUTH, CAROLINA - Magistrate Judge Charles T. Carter has been suspended after his arrest on misconduct charges.
An order from the South Carolina Supreme Court dated Wednesday placed Judge Carter on interim suspension and stated that neither Aiken County nor the town of Burnettown has to pay his salary while he’s not working at the Graniteville Magistrate Court.
Judge Carter, 57, was charged Tuesday with two misdemeanors: misconduct in office and failure to report sexual misconduct. He was released from the Aiken County Detention Center on $10,000 bond.
Judge Carter is accused of not telling authorities that one of his employees had an improper sexual relationship with a state inmate in August 2005.
Aimee L. Barton, 36, of Aiken, was arrested Dec. 21 and charged with first-degree sexual misconduct with an inmate. She admitted to the charge in a written statement to authorities, according to arrest warrants.
Arrest warrants from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division state that Judge Carter learned of this affair in December 2005.
A public official convicted of not reporting sexual misconduct to authorities could be fined up to $500 and sent to jail for six months. The second charge of misconduct in office is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office asked SLED to take over the case Nov. 9. Lt. Michael Frank, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said he was not sure how the agency learned of the relationship between the inmate and Ms. Barton.
Ms. Barton resigned her position as a legal secretary Dec. 20, the day before she was arrested, according to County Administrator Clay Killian.
Judge Carter was appointed to the Graniteville Magistrate Court position in July 1997 by Sen. Tommy Moore. He heard civil cases involving claims up to $7,500 and criminal cases in which the maximum punishment is a $500 fine or 30 days in jail.
Aiken County has 10 Magistrate Court judges, who are recommended by state senators and approved by the governor.
Mr. Killian said Judge Carter’s annual salary is $54,728.70, which is paid by Aiken County, although Judge Carter is not a county employee.
Mr. Killian said he’s not sure if the county will continue to pay Judge Carter’s salary while the suspension lasts.
Under normal circumstances, Mr. Killian said, an employee accused of misconduct would be suspended without pay but could use accrued time off. Judges don’t accrue time off, he said.
“This is not a normal situation,” Mr. Killian said.
chronicle.augusta.com/login.shtml?orq:http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/011207/met_112208.shtml
South Carolina High Court Suspends Judge Charles T. Carter After Charges, Arrest For Misconduct
An order from the South Carolina Supreme Court dated Wednesday placed Judge Carter on interim suspension and stated that neither Aiken County nor the town of Burnettown has to pay his salary while he’s not working at the Graniteville Magistrate Court.
Judge Carter, 57, was charged Tuesday with two misdemeanors: misconduct in office and failure to report sexual misconduct. He was released from the Aiken County Detention Center on $10,000 bond.
Judge Carter is accused of not telling authorities that one of his employees had an improper sexual relationship with a state inmate in August 2005.
Aimee L. Barton, 36, of Aiken, was arrested Dec. 21 and charged with first-degree sexual misconduct with an inmate. She admitted to the charge in a written statement to authorities, according to arrest warrants.
Arrest warrants from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division state that Judge Carter learned of this affair in December 2005.
A public official convicted of not reporting sexual misconduct to authorities could be fined up to $500 and sent to jail for six months. The second charge of misconduct in office is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office asked SLED to take over the case Nov. 9. Lt. Michael Frank, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said he was not sure how the agency learned of the relationship between the inmate and Ms. Barton.
Ms. Barton resigned her position as a legal secretary Dec. 20, the day before she was arrested, according to County Administrator Clay Killian.
Judge Carter was appointed to the Graniteville Magistrate Court position in July 1997 by Sen. Tommy Moore. He heard civil cases involving claims up to $7,500 and criminal cases in which the maximum punishment is a $500 fine or 30 days in jail.
Aiken County has 10 Magistrate Court judges, who are recommended by state senators and approved by the governor.
Mr. Killian said Judge Carter’s annual salary is $54,728.70, which is paid by Aiken County, although Judge Carter is not a county employee.
Mr. Killian said he’s not sure if the county will continue to pay Judge Carter’s salary while the suspension lasts.
Under normal circumstances, Mr. Killian said, an employee accused of misconduct would be suspended without pay but could use accrued time off. Judges don’t accrue time off, he said.
“This is not a normal situation,” Mr. Killian said.
chronicle.augusta.com/login.shtml?orq:http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/011207/met_112208.shtml
South Carolina High Court Suspends Judge Charles T. Carter After Charges, Arrest For Misconduct