After serving 30 years in prison for killing her two sons, Susan Smith appeared Wednesday before a parole board in South Carolina to ask for her freedom. Smith made international news in 1994 when she claimed she was carjacked by a black man who drove away with her two sons in the car. For nine days, Smith and her husband appeared on national television asking for her children to be returned to her. It was later discovered that she was having an affair with the wealthy son of her employer, and that her paramour blamed her children as the reason they could not be together. Smith ultimately confessed to letting her car roll down a boat ramp and into a lake with her two sons secured inside. After hearing from Smith, her ex-husband, his family members, prosecutors, and law enforcement, the parole board denied her request. She is now eligible to appear before the parole board every two years. Read on for more criminal law news.
Sheriffs Compelled to Cooperate with ICE. In September, Governor Cooper vetoed legislation that would order local sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and would expand the private school voucher program. On Wednesday, the legislature completed its override of the veto. Cooperation is currently voluntary, but effective December 1, 2024, all local sheriffs will be required to honor detainers issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) (G.S. 162-62). For in-custody individuals charged with certain offenses, if a detainer is issued by ICE it must be served on the individual without unnecessary delay and a state judicial official must order the individual held in custody pursuant to the detainer. Unless their custody remains required by other process, the individual must be released at the expiration of 48 hours, the arrival of ICE to take custody, or the revocation of the detainer, whichever happens first. The private school voucher program expansion provisions of the bill take effect immediately.
