Berkeley sheriff’s prosecutor faces attempted murder, accused of choking his children | News

HANAHAN — A former DUI prosecutor for the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Business has been arrested on allegations he repeatedly abused his kids, at a person stage choking his 3-year-old son violently. 

Lawyer Justin Mims was arrested Oct. 21 by the Hanahan Police Office on 1 rely of tried murder and 5 counts of neglect by a legal custodian. Mims was denied bail at a listening to the similar day as his arrest in Berkeley County’s bond court. 

Mims is accused of choking, putting and throwing his small children in a number of violent encounters that happened in 2018 or 2019, according to arrest warrant affidavits. All the encounters, which ended up online video recorded, took put at the Mims’ residence, the affidavits point out. 

Late Oct. 22, Mims’ regulation license was positioned on interim suspension by the S.C. Supreme Courtroom. Attorney Peyre T. Lumpkin was appointed to handling his authorized and client’ fiscal matters.

The tried murder cost stems from allegations that Mims threw one youthful child on to a bed and choked the kid, stating, “I am heading to (expletive) destroy you.” The boy or girl coughed and gasped for air following his father released him from the hold, the affidavit states. 

In a further encounter, Mims allegedly grabbed one more child by the again of the neck and threw the child onto a chair. When the child began to cry, Mims allegedly “thumped” the child’s face and slapped the kid 3 more situations, then two times additional on a couch, the affidavit states. 

In a third come across, Mims is accused of kicking his younger boy or girl while his spouse held their toddler, in accordance to the affidavit. 

Mims is also accused of leaving a long gun, which seems to be a BB gun, on the ground of his home inside of achieve of his 3 kids, the affidavit states. 

Mims was hired in December as the Berkeley County Sheriff Office’s very first whole-time particular DUI prosecutor. He was responsible for prosecuting 1st-time drunken driving offenses in the county’s municipal courts on behalf of the agency. 

Sheriff Duane Lewis claimed Oct. 22 that Mims was fired soon ahead of his arrest on the youngster abuse charges.  

Mims’ wife filed for divorce in early 2020. Her legal professional, Ryan Schwartz, claimed on Oct. 22 he initial turned knowledgeable of the video clips just after Mims’ wife retained him on Oct. 19. He noted the incidents to Hanahan police. 

“In my 8 yrs as an attorney, this is the worst detail I’ve at any time witnessed,” he said. 

The abuse in this situation was captured by “nanny cameras,” or surveillance cameras put in in the Mims’ relatives home, Schwartz claimed. 

He reported his consumer is looking for custody of the little ones. 

It truly is not very clear from courtroom data no matter whether Mims has retained legal counsel. 

Mims also owns a North Charleston law business. Mims was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 2007, in accordance to state information. On his legislation firm’s website, Mims states he began his profession as an assistant public defender in Aiken County before getting an associate with Mlynarczyk Law Business. 

Mims has also taught college-level programs in regulation and English at Trident Technical University, his web-site states.

Reach Steve Garrison at 843-607-1052. Comply with him on Twitter @SteveGarrisonDT.