A recent study has revealed that South Carolina ranks fifth in the nation when it comes to violent crimes. Data from the study shows that for every 100,000 people in the state, there are 559 violent crimes committed. Nevertheless, those accused of these crimes remain innocent in the eyes of the law unless and until proved guilty in a criminal courtroom. The right to a criminal defense is guaranteed by state and federal laws.
The study used incidents of four types of crimes tracked by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report for 2012 — aggravated assault, robbery, forcible rape and murder — per 100,000 people, along with that report’s population estimates. This report also tracks other violent and non-violent crimes. Additional data was taken from the 2012 American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau for information on education, income and poverty levels.
The data indicates that there is a correlation between high crime rates, on the one hand, and education and income levels on the other. South Carolina ranks ninth in the nation when it comes to having a high poverty rate. In addition, the state has a lower rate of median income and residents with bachelor’s degrees when compared to national averages.
If the results of this study are to be believed, many individuals facing violent crimes accusations in South Carolina may face financial difficulties in planning their criminal defense. However, the law guarantees the right to counsel to everyone in these circumstances. Understandably, the serious nature of these types of criminal allegations require that every reasonable effort be made to protect the legal rights of an accused person while fighting for a favorable result under the circumstances. Sometimes, that may mean challenging the legality of the prosecution’s evidence, while other times the focus may be on negotiating a plea agreement with prosecutors in an attempt to lessen any potential consequences should a conviction ultimately be secured.
Source: thestate.com, Study ranks South Carolina fifth for violent crime, David Dykes, Oct. 27, 2013