A prominent South Carolina Midlands lawyer and an influential former lobbyist for SC State House is facing a charge of criminal sexual conduct.
Edward J. Schafer of Gaston, SC – an attorney from the Columbia, SC office of the Turner Padget law firm – was charged on Monday, January 4, 2021, with an accusation of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, a violation of the SC Law Code § 16-3-654.
No details on what led to Schafer’s arrest on the charge were immediately available, however, this section of the code is reserved for cases where “force or coercion” is allegedly used “to carry out … sexual assault”.
If found guilty of this crime, Schafer could face up to ten years in a South Carolina correctional facility.
Schafer, 46, is a business and real estate attorney who also provides Turner Padget with government relations and public policy advice.
Prior to his work at the company, Schafer served as a staff attorney and lobbyist for the SC County Association, as a legislative advisor to the South Carolina Municipal Association (MASC) and as a general legal advisor and director of government affairs for Manufactured / Modular Housing South Carolina Institute.
A graduate of Leadership Columbia, Schafer serves on the board of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and is chairman of the church board at The United Methodist Church in Cayce, South Carolina.
As with any person accused of committing any crime, Schafer is found innocent until proven guilty by our criminal justice system – or until he wishes to enter an argument related to the charge brought against him.
Schafer received a $ 100,000 bond from the Richland County judge Mildred R. Metts. As a condition of the bond, he must remain 1,000 yards away from the alleged victim’s “home, work, school and place of worship” and “no direct or indirect contact” with the alleged victim is allowed.
Schafer’s case will be handled by the SC Fifth Circuit attorney’s office Byron Gipson.
Schafer did not immediately respond to our request for comment, but if we receive a statement from him (or a lawyer who represents him), we will be happy to pass on that information to our readers.
-FITSNews
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