SC lawmaker pleads not guilty to misconduct, delinquency of a minor charges
Suspended South Carolina Rep. Rick Martin pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of misconduct and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The Newberry Republican appeared in front of a judge for the first time in the Newberry County Courthouse Tuesday with his lawyer, House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Richland. Rutherford argued Martin should not be given a high bond, because he is “no way, shape or form a flight risk.”
Judge G. D. Morgan released Martin on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.
Martin was indicted last Friday by a grand jury on charges that he tried to influence an investigation by the state’s child-welfare agency and provided a minor with alcohol. As practice, House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Darlington, suspended Martin from the House almost immediately.
The indictment said Martin, who has served in the House since 2017, tried to influence an investigation at the state Department of Social Services between December 2019 and the end of January 2020, and that he provided a woman under the age of 21 with an alcoholic beverage in January 2019.
More details were unveiled Tuesday by Kinli Abee, an attorney with the state Attorney General’s Office.
Abee told the judge that police were called to Martin’s home in December 2019 for an unrelated reason. The Department of Social Services removed all of the children from the home on Dec. 6, she said.
After the children were removed, Abee said Martin called DSS Director Michael Leach and the department’s legislative liaison for the House and threatened to cut the agency’s budget unless his children were returned that night.
Martin is not a member of the House’s budget-writing committee.
The foster daughter, who was 16 at the time, also told officials that Martin had once given her wine coolers, Abee said.
Martin served as a foster parent until December 2019, according to the Department of Social Services. No children have been placed with him since, and his foster home license expired in May this year.
As part of his bond requirements, the judge ordered that Martin cannot contact the former foster daughter or Leach.
Martin has requested a jury trial.
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 2:45 PM with the headline "SC lawmaker pleads not guilty to misconduct, delinquency of a minor charges."
