COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – A pair of South Carolina solicitors are calling for more judicial and mental health reform alongside the father of a woman killed in Columbia earlier this summer.
First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe and 16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett held a joint press conference on Thursday in York.
The two were joined by Stephen Federico, the father of Logan Federico.
Logan Federico, 22, was killed in May while visiting Columbia from North Carolina. Questions were then raised about the lengthy criminal record of her alleged killer, Alexander Dickey.
Dickey’s rap sheet, produced by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, was notably missing fingerprints from a pair of 2014 arrests, which led to charges not being listed on his record.
Federico addressed problems in the judicial system, saying that Dickey “physically took Logan’s life, but the system that was supposed to protect her also took her life.”
“The system is broken and I plan to turn it on its head,” he said. “The judges, you’ll hear from me, and you’re going to hear from me real soon. Buckle up. You’re about to get Federico’d.”
Pascoe, who is also running for Attorney General, discussed the need to change how judges are selected in South Carolina.
Currently, the state legislature has the sole discretion to select and remove judges through the Judicial Merit Selection Committee, which screens candidates annually before advancing those who are qualified to the General Assembly, where they are voted on.
The legislature passed a bill during the past session that expanded the screening committee and allowed the governor to have four judicial appointments.
However, Pascoe said more reform is needed.
“You cannot have an independent judiciary when they are solely hired, fired and funded by the legislative branch. They become subservient of the legislative branch, and that creates an inherently unfair system that leads to favoritism,” he said.
Pascoe said one of his main reasons for speaking out again was his discussions with Federico, who said that he cannot trust the justice system in South Carolina because of the way judges are picked.
Pascoe urged legislators during the press conference to pass another law removing legislators from selecting judges.
“My plea today is for the legislature to let justice out-prioritize your selfishness. Let justice out-brave the madness and pass a law, pass a simple statute, because that’s all it’s going to take, a simple statute that takes legislators off of the Judicial Merit Selection Committee,” he said.
Sixteenth Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett spoke more on what he called a need for mental health reform when it comes to criminal suspects.
Brackett referenced two separate cases in York County where two criminals had previously been committed to psychiatric hospitals but later came before a judge and were released.
Both criminals later committed murder after being released before being re-committed.
“Our system is broken, and it needs to be repaired. And this is one of the critical areas that we’ve identified that needs immediate attention,” he said. “The mental health situation in our state, and I believe this is probably true across the country to varying degrees, is broken and desperately needs attention.”
You can watch the full press conference here:
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