Beaufort, SOUTH CAROLINA

Another sweet plea deal.

Dec 23, 2007 - There really ought to be laws to make those plea agreements public. It's rare that we find out just exactly what the prosecution concedes. A glimpse at one plea agreement and the consequence involves Philip Underwood-Sheppard.

Underwood-Sheppard pleaded guilty to molesting nine children between 6 and 23. In 2003, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The Beaufort School District has paid, to date, $4.6 million. The insurance company refuses to cover the payouts. We've asked a half dozen times why was the school liable? Boys & Girls Clubs also paid $2.4 million to six of those students who Underwood-Sheppard molested at the agency's after-school facility at Coosa Elementary School.

Now, another victim has come forward, but Underwood-Sheppard's former attorney, Bruce Marshall, said he privately struck a deal with a former deputy solicitor that shielded Underwood-Sheppard from future charges in exchange for his guilty plea in April 2003.

The result is that Beaufort County Solicitor Duffie Stone will not pursue criminal charges on behalf the latest victim. Stone has not found written documentation of a deal and the former solicitor can't remember. Underwood-Sheppard's attorney doesn't want new criminal charges pursued because he doesn't want to be sued by his former client and cause a retrial. The net effect is that the victim will have to wait until Underwood-Sheppard gets out of prison.

TT - links HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE

And we are still wondering why was the Beaufort County School District was liable for so much money? (The last link above also asks the same question.)