7/11 NEWSBREAK: County shouldn't have withheld information, judge says

A judge ruled in favor of a local television station Monday in its lawsuit against the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office over its refusal to release jail video calls made by a suspect in a deadly DUI crash that killed a newlywed in Folly Beach in April. Former S.C. Supreme Court Justice Jean Toal, who retired from the high court in 2015 but serves as a judge when needed in other South Carolina courts, ruled the office violated the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) when it denied a request from WCSC-TV.

The sheriff’s office initially released audio and video calls from the suspect to The Post and Courier through an FOIA request, but denied a similar request from WCSC-TV, citing the denial was made because release of similar materials could risk a fair trial for the suspect.

During the July 10 hearing, attorney Mark Peper, representing WCSC-TV, argued the recordings are public records and can only be withheld based on specific exceptions in the state’s open records law, which the sheriff’s office failed to cite in its denial.

“Under the Freedom of Information Act, these recordings are, in my mind, clearly public recordings,” said Toal on the ruling, adding that the county cannot brush aside FOIA requirements just because the public records sought are voluminous.

In other City Paper headlines:

CP: Charleston teen explores grief in debut children’s book. Seventeen-year-old Lucy Mettler has published her first children’s book, “Treasures of the Tide,” which follows the beach adventures of siblings Gus and Willa Mae whose father passed away.

In other news from around the state:

S.C. gas prices see 5-cent increase in past week. Gas prices in South Carolina saw a 5.1 cent increase over the past week, bringing the state’s average to $3.14 per gallon, according to a new GasBuddy survey.

Charleston area home sales fall 22% in first half of the year. Charleston-area home sales tumbled 22% in the first half of 2023, while the median home price increased 2% far below the double-digit gains during the pandemic.

Charleston Co. school program to help homeless families. The Charleston County McKinney-Vento program is working to provide support to homeless families and ensure they have the necessary assistance with an event on July 29.

MUSC launches online mental health platforms for S.C. students. The Medical University of South Carolina and Blackbaud have collaborated on a digital mental health education program for South Carolina students, featured tailored topics such as social-emotional skills, coping strategies, underage drinking and vaping for varying K-12 age groups.

West Ashley homeowner risked fine from Charleston Co. over native plants. One West Ashley resident is among a growing number of Charleston residents who are embracing the native plants of the area, using specific plant species to attract native pollinators, ultimately creating a balanced food web. However, Charleston County is seeing this as a nuisance, threatening fines for native planters.

Live 5 WCSC to debut new lifestyle show in September. Live 5 WCSC will premiere a new one-hour lifestyle TV show titled “Palmetto Life,” hosted by Live 5’s Emilie Zuhowski and will explore the culture, people, food, things to do and businesses that make the Lowcountry one of the most desired places to live, work and visit in the country.