COLUMBIA, S.C. — Victims of violent crime in South Carolina are calling for changes to the justice system and mental health care, with support from York County Solicitor Kevin Brackett.
Brackett has been advocating for reforms in the mental health system and the judicial appointment process, citing recent incidents as evidence of the need for change.
That includes the killing of Logan Federico.
“The system is broken and I plan to turn it on its head,” said Steven Federico, whose daughter was killed this summer.
Police say Logan was murdered while visiting friends in Columbia. Police reported that Alexander Dickey broke into the house, stole a wallet and debit cards, and shot Logan in the chest before fleeing.
Federico expressed frustration that Dickey, who had an extensive criminal record, was not properly sentenced.
“He probably would have done over 140 years in prison and would have never met Logan,” Federico said.
Brackett and Solicitor David Pascoe have called for changes to the judicial system, including the way judges are appointed. South Carolina and Virginia are the only states where lawmakers appoint judges, some of whom are attorneys who try cases before the judges they help appoint.
“There has been an erosion of public confidence in our judicial system,” said Pascoe, who serves as solicitor for the 1st Circuit.
The solicitors also highlighted the need for mental health system reforms. Earlier this year, Brackett discussed cases where individuals with serious mental health issues went unnoticed, leading to tragic outcomes. One such case involved a suspect who killed two innocent men, Tim Barber and Robbin Thompson.
“It was my family in 2019 - we don’t know when the next murder will be,” said Renea Barber, a family member of one of the victims.
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