South Carolina’s Highest Court Overturns Erroneous ‘Phantom Order’ Granting Early Release to Convicted Murderer

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The South Carolina Supreme Court recently found itself immersed in an unusual case involving the untimely release of Jeroid John Price, who was serving a 35-year sentence for the 2002 killing of college football player Carl Smalls Jr. The court’s action, described as “rare haste,” came after it swiftly vacated a secret order that had been issued in December 2022, authorizing Price’s release without any public notice.

The decision to release Price stemmed from a tip he provided regarding an unnoticed prison escape by Jimmy Lee Causey, a prisoner convicted of a harrowing home invasion involving a lawyer and his family. Thanks to Price’s information, Causey’s swift recapture served as the catalyst for the release order, signed by a now-retired judge and subsequently labeled a “phantom order” by one of the justices.

However, upon review, the South Carolina Supreme Court deemed the order erroneous and promptly nullified it. The court’s ruling came merely two hours after the state attorney general’s office presented an emergency request during a hearing on April 26. The court’s 3-2 decision resulted in Price’s immediate detention, leaving his current whereabouts unknown at the time of this report.

  

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Price’s attorney, South Carolina State Representative Todd Rutherford, argued before the justices that his client had provided substantial assistance to law enforcement, justifying his early release under an exception to the mandatory sentencing law. Rutherford contended that re-incarcerating Price would essentially be a “death sentence,” considering that his cooperation with law enforcement had become public knowledge.

The contentious case has sparked intense debate, with critics expressing concerns over the secretive nature of the original release order and the implications it could have had on public safety. The South Carolina Supreme Court’s rapid response to rectify the situation has been lauded and scrutinized, leaving lingering questions about the efficacy and transparency of the judicial process.

As the legal community closely follows this unfolding saga, the South Carolina Supreme Court’s decision to nullify the controversial early release order sends a clear message regarding the importance of procedural accuracy and public accountability. The case is a stark reminder of the delicate balance between justice, public safety, and the potential consequences of premature and uninformed decisions within the legal system.