5 Rivers trial date set
Last Updated on 12/1/2008
Published on 10/12/2008
By Scott Harper
sharper@gtowntimes.com
Last month, 15th Circuit Solicitor Greg Hembree said the trial for the defunct Five Rivers Community Development Corp. chief financial officer Dayo White would begin either Oct. 20 or Oct. 27.
The date for the trial has not been set in stone. It will begin with jury selection at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, said Assistant Solicitor Dorie Biagianti who is helping with the prosecution of the case.
Dayo White and her mother Beulah White ran the non-profit organization which was supposed to help lower-income people with housing, economic development and personal and business growth.
Both women are accused of putting tens of thousands of dollars of the organization's funds to personal use. Their trials are being held separately.
Specifically, Dayo White is charged with taking $42,900 from the non-profit's bank account for personal expenses. She also allegedly used the non-profit's credit cards to make at least $12,000 worth of personal purchases and used public money to buy a personal computer and other items.
There are allegations of even more misspending, including exorbitant salaries and bonuses, but Hembree said he cannot prosecute for those because the salaries and bonuses were reportedly approved by Five Rivers board of directors.
The case has received generous amounts of publicity since the first newspaper story was written in August 2006. Because of that, Hembree has asked for a larger-than-normal jury pool.
Clerk of Court Alma White said for a normal case, she sends out jury duty summons to 150 people. For this trial she was ordered by the judge to seek a jury pool of 250 people.
It is believed because of all the publicity the case has received -- and because of relationships people may have with some of the witnesses that will be called -- it will take that many people to get an impartial panel of 12 jurors.
Alma White said the only other time in her career she has had to seek such a large jury pool was for the Stephen Stanko death penalty trial in 2006.
If she is found guilty on all charges, Dayo White faces a possible sentence of up to 60 years in prison. In July Dayo White rejected a plea bargain deal that would have resulted in 10 years or less in prison.
Due to the amount of time jury selection and qualification is expected to take, testimony in the trial will likely not begin until Oct. 28. Biagianti said she expects the trial to conclude that same week.
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Prime example of some1 being a product of their on enviorment. Posted by DON'T-B-DUMD on 10/15/2008
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The Five Rivers geroup is a mini ACORN.Same corruption, same support from a congressman (James Clyburn) S.O.S. Where will it end? Watch and see - nada. Posted by WHAT are you thinkin? on 10/14/2008
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John Q: Condon doesn't represent both defendants. The other defendant (and probably the one being tried second) has some other guy from Columbia. He's black, so the judge won't pay him much mind. The only remaining connection (other than their both being self-absorbed individuals) is that lawyers for both are being paid by the same insurance company, though--AIG, the one the taxpayers now own. But being paid by the same insurer as the other guy is seldom seen as a creating a conflict of interests among lawyers. In our "how much justice can you afford" system, money launders most everything. Premiums for that coverage having been paid out of Five Rivers funds, we can each feel good that we are contributing, with the tax dollars now devoted to bailing out Wall Street, for the defense of both of these defendants. Ain't that swell. Posted by Court watcher on 10/14/2008
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Condon can't represent both defendants if one intends to testify against the other. Conflict of interests. Cottingham is no different than the others- he knows where his bread is buttered and looks out for his own. The Baruch thief was represented by former circuit judge Duane Shuler which goes a long way to explain the probation. You can get as much justice as you can afford. We're the only state in which the legislature elects the judges, so these folks know all about "playing ball" long before they elect each other judge. Posted by JOHN Q on 10/14/2008
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Judge Cottingham is a lenient sentencer, particularly when the defendant is represented by a big time lawyer. He let the guy who stole more than $1 million worth of stuff at Baruch off with probation. He put an elderly Horry County Magistrate who sought sexual favors from a potential court employee on probation. He had a hand in letting highway patrolman off even though they tried to pin their own Christmastime felony DUI on the victim of the crash. It will be interesting to see what he does with Charlie Condon's client. Posted by Court watcher on 10/14/2008
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It is a pigeon race. First one to the stool wins and gets to fly away. Posted by Birdman on 10/13/2008
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Oh I should of known!! Jazzman thanks for clarifying the justice system. I guess there were far too many blacks on the jury for the young lady who killed her best friend while driving drunk!! That explains why she got off!! Someone should have told O.J. then maybe he would have gotten away with another crime!!! Please Jazzman don't show your ignorance!!! Posted by Navy Veteran on 10/13/2008
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jazzman, how could you say sch a thing???? Posted by Let's Be Real on 10/13/2008
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Jazzman, you are indeed ignorant! The program was set up for black and white alike. Posted by Oh My on 10/13/2008
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If there is one black person on the jury you will have a hung jury. They should have moved the trial out of georgetown. Posted by jazzman on 10/13/2008
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It will be interesting. The Solicitor may call one defendant to be State's witness against the other. (They are, after all, going to be tried separately.) It is a game that starts to look a lot like whoever goes to trial first is gonna take the fall, or maybe rat out the other. Which will win out, the self-possessed mother or the equally self-absorbed daughter? A family struggle of epic proportions, suitable for an episode on TRASH TV. "Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive," or some such. Posted by Gludious Maximus on 10/12/2008
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