Why isn't mainstream news media reporting on the Hodges scandal in the Fourth Circuit?
Last week I wrote about the developing scandal surrounding the Fourth Circuit Solicitor's Office, which is apparently being investigated by the FBI along with Mercy Ministries, a non-profit organization formed to help victims of criminal domestic violence.
The mainstream media has been deafeningly silent on this story - at this time I can find only one short article by Tonya Brown at carolinalive.com, and no others. There was an article by the Cheraw Chronicle - but it appears to no longer be available online, although you can pull up an apology and retraction stemming from the story:
In this week’s issue of The Cheraw Chronicle & Chesterfield Advertiser regarding the article on the Fourth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, it was mentioned that Safrona Finch was a former employee with the Fourth Circuit Solicitor’s Office in Bennettsville.It is correct to say that Safrona Finch is still a current employee of the Solicitor’s office and that she has not been terminated or has she resigned from her position.
Sorry Safrona. I'm sure they didn't mean to point fingers at you. Fitsnews has been dogging this story from the beginning, and is now reporting that Bill Overcash, who ran the Pre-Trial Intervention program, has also left the solicitor's office amid allegations of misappropriations of funds.
Where is the rest of the mainstream media on this story? [post edited]
Anyone that has more information, feel free to comment below.
Edit: Chesterfield County newspaper The Link has also reported on the scandal. Leighton Bell's article was on the front page this week.
Comments
don't be so quick to pardon safrona, she is up to her eyeballs in this mess. she has been helping hodge attempt to cover up all the misappropriation of funds issues mostly because she benefited from them as well.she is officially on medical leave because they don't have enough money to pay her out when they let her go. the solicitors office is broke from all the "personal remodels" primarily by hodge that have been going on. however, they did generate some income by taking back safrona and jay's state vehicles to sell at auction. that should at least help them make payroll this week. why is mary anderson still on the payroll when all she handles is chesterfield county cdv cases. she gets paid $20k a year plus state benefits and all she documented last month was 4 cases. pretty sweet job huh. no wonder she has so much extra time to spend with hodge to try and cover up wrong doings with mercy ministries.
Posted by: John Mimms | June 22, 2009 10:57 PM
Apparently,corruption has infiltrated the Solicitor's office in Marlboro County.As time goes by,more and more people are being exposed for their participation in these crimes.
What most people don't know in S.C. is that in light of these findings,there is one Solicitor that I know is honest and upholds the moral ethics of the office of Solicitor.I know this because I have criminal charges in the 4th District and have seen the system there for 2 years now.
Marlboro County is overloaded with cases with NO public defender,the defender that was on my cases and quit the public defender's office several months ago.Since that time, I have been assigned a public defender that has talked to me for maybe 10 minutes overall and as far as I know, has no intention of representing me the way I or anyone should be represented.
Elizabeth Merril is the Solicitor I referred to earlier in this comment and she seems to have an understanding of exactly what the implications are for all represented by the public defender's office and has been working with me fairly so far.
What I am trying to say is that Ms. Meril is , as far as I have seen, the one and only shining star in a system that is corrupt.The system,including DETECTIVES is what I talk about. The solicitor's office works cases by the evidence provided and I know firsthand that ,in my cases, investigation has been lax,unprofessional, and incomplete , as evidence would indeed help me in pursuit of a verdict of innocense.
I hope that the corruption that is being revealed in the 4th District is done so quickly and the "bad apples" removed before I go to court.
Posted by: Wesley C.Lesesne | September 10, 2009 2:09 PM
As of 10/02/09, I am now again dealing with CDV from my ex-husband, an issue that has not been properly addressed for 8+ years. I paid for my divorce in 2006. The divorce, restraining orders, contacting respective agencies, & the assistance of others have produced no results.
I have been asked by many in local law enforcement & others why I have allowed him to dictate much of what I have tolerated from him.
Of more pressing concern is why they and others have tolerated this man's actions, with so much damage by him done to others.
What choice have I had? This man has repeatedly stated that he will receive no appropriate punishment with respect to his relationship with individuals in local law enforcement. It has proven to be very true. Others have reported him for similar actions and police reports were not made in many instances, nor did he receive more than a night in jail. Most often his actions were ignored.
What does an individual do when SLED, local law enforcement, the solicitor's office, and other respective individuals have not addressed this issue and many others properly?
In November 2008, he was charged with 2nd Degree Burglary for breaking into my home. He received enrollment in Chesterfield County Drug Court, as have many enrollees with violent criminal charges.
I am very concerned that the FBI investigation will deliver no substantial results, nor will the above individual be properly sentenced.
Hodge was allowed to attend the Drug Court graduation this past month. What I am seeing is business as usual.
I will continue to closely follow the FBI investigation and the results.
There is a chain of command if no SC agencies can resolve the issues in Chesterfield County concerning this case and respective issues.
Posted by: Laura Campbell | October 10, 2009 6:56 PM