South Carolina Attorney General http://www.scag.gov Thu, 17 May 2012 13:52:31 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Attorney General Announces $40 million Skechers USA Multi-State Consumer Settlement http://www.scag.gov/archives/6647 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6647#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 20:57:40 +0000 apiper http://www.scag.gov/?p=6647
AG Wilson says ‘Advertising Claims Must Walk the Walk, not just Talk the Talk.’

COLUMBIA, SC  – May 16, 2012 – Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that South Carolina joined with forty-three other states, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Trade Commission in settling causes of action against Skechers USA, Inc.

Sketchers USA, Inc. has agreed to pay $40 million in a national consumer settlement to settle complaints filed by the Wilson, other Attorneys General, and the FTC against the company’s unsupported advertising claims regarding the health benefits of its Shape-Ups, Tone-Ups, and Resistance Runner athletic shoes.

The complaints made by Wilson and others alleged that Skechers deceived customers with claims that “Shape-ups” would help people lose weight, and strengthen and tone their buttocks, legs and abdominal muscles.

“Advertising claims must walk the walk, not just talk the talk,” Wilson said.

“Hopefully, this settlement will send a clear message to manufacturers and retailers that false advertising claims are not welcome in South Carolina. Customers should also do their own research. If a product sounds too good to be true, often times it is.” Wilson continued.

Under the terms of the settlement, Skechers does not admit any wrongdoing and denies the factual allegations in the states’ complaint.

Consumers who bought Skechers’ Shape-Ups, Tone-Ups, or Resistance Runners will be eligible for refunds either directly from the FTC or by submitting a claim at www.skecherssettlement.com.

For more information, consumers may call this toll-free national hotline, (866) 325-4186.

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]]> http://www.scag.gov/archives/6647/feed 1 Attorney General Announces Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Makes Three (3) Arrests on One Day. http://www.scag.gov/archives/6644 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6644#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 19:52:29 +0000 apiper http://www.scag.gov/?p=6644 Columbia, S.C. – May 16, 2012 Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today three arrests made on May 15, 2012 by the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) arrests.

Bobby Glen Chapman, James Witton Lother, and Richard Adam Burch were all arrested by members of the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force.

Bobby Glen Chapman, 34, of 571 Cherry Street in Chesterfield, South Carolina, was arrested by the Attorney General’s office with assistance from the Florence Police Department, who is a member of the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, and the Chesterfield Police Department.

Chapman was arrested on two (2) counts of Criminal Solicitation of a Minor (§16-15-342), a felony offense punishable by up to ten (10) years imprisonment for each count and one (1) count of Dissemination of Obscene Material to a Minor (§16-15-345), a felony offense punishable by up to ten (10) years imprisonment.

Arrest warrants allege Chapman solicited, received and disseminated obscene material to a minor, of or under the age of twelve. Chapman is being held on a $5,000 surety bond in Chesterfield County. A booking photo is available through the Chesterfield County Detention Center.

James Witton Lother, 56, of 202 Sanders Street in Seneca, South Carolina was arrested by the City of Anderson Police Department with assistance from the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office. Both the Anderson Police Department and the Oconee Sheriff’s Office are members of the Attorney General’s ICAC task force.

Lother was arrested on one (1) count of Criminal Solicitation of a Minor (§16-15-342), a felony offense punishable by up to ten (10) years imprisonment.

Arrest warrants allege Lother solicited from a minor via text message. Lother is being held on a 25,000.00 surety bond with no internet access, no unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 17 and no contact with the live victim in Oconee County or her family. A booking photo is available through the Anderson County Detention Center.

Richard Adam Burch, 30, of 103 Lyman Lake Road in Lyman, South Carolina by the City of Anderson Police Department as announced yesterday by Attorney General Wilson.

Burch was arrested on one (1) count of Criminal Solicitation of a Minor (§16-15-342), a felony offense punishable to ten (10) years imprisonment and one (1) count of Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, Second Degree (§16-3-655(b)), a felony offense punishable to twenty (20) years imprisonment.

Arrest warrants allege that Burch used a Craigslist.com website ad to solicit sex from an individual he believed to be a minor child.

Burch is being held on a 100,000.00 surety bond with no internet access and no unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 17. A booking photo is available through the Anderson County Detention Center.

These three arrests are the three hundred eighth (308th), three hundred ninth (309) and three hundred tenth (310) arrests made by the Attorney General’s Task Force.

All three (3) cases will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

Wilson stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

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]]> http://www.scag.gov/archives/6644/feed 0 May 8, 2012 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6638 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6638#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 14:08:32 +0000 agallego http://www.scag.gov/?p=6638 Opinion addressing whether §7-25-100 prohibits the reproduction of a ballot by devices such as a cell phone, video camera, camera or iPad.

Requested by: The Honorable Harvey S. Peeler, Jr., Member, SC Senate

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]]> http://www.scag.gov/archives/6638/feed 0 May 7, 2012 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6634 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6634#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 19:14:43 +0000 agallego http://www.scag.gov/?p=6634 Opinion as to whether the Jasper County Council has the authority to require the County Treasurer to provide an employee of her office to work at an administrative satellite office the County Council recently established at a location outside the county seat.

Requested by: Marvin C. Jones, Esquire, Jasper County Attorney

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]]> http://www.scag.gov/archives/6634/feed 0 May 2, 2012 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6628 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6628#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 18:52:57 +0000 agallego http://www.scag.gov/?p=6628 Opinion concerning the handling of shoplifting cases by the City of Columbia Police Department (the “Department”).

Requested by: Steven A. Gantt, City Manager, City of Columbia

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]]> http://www.scag.gov/archives/6628/feed 0 April 30, 2012 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6623 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6623#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:36:48 +0000 agallego http://www.scag.gov/?p=6623 Opinion “as to whether Article 3 of Chapter 13, Title 6 confers upon the Pioneer Rural Water District of Oconee and Anderson Counties the power to contract for or undertake the construction of new freshwater treatment facilities.”           

Requested by: Andy Fiffick, Esquire

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]]> http://www.scag.gov/archives/6623/feed 0 April 24, 2012 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6610 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6610#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:58:41 +0000 agallego http://www.scag.gov/?p=6610 Opinion concerning allegations of below-cost sales of gasoline outlined in a January 27, 2012 letter from Mr. Mark Rhodes.    

Requested by: The Honorable Glenn G. Reese, Member, SC Senate

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]]> http://www.scag.gov/archives/6610/feed 0 April 24, 2012 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6615 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6615#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:44:46 +0000 agallego http://www.scag.gov/?p=6615 Opinion concerning fees included on municipal property tax bills.     

Requested by: The Honorable Bill Bowers, Member, House of Representatives

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]]> http://www.scag.gov/archives/6615/feed 0 April 23, 2012 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6607 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6607#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:56:43 +0000 agallego http://www.scag.gov/?p=6607 Opinion regarding whether counties and municipalities may impose business license “fees” based upon gross income, rather than net income.   

Requested by: The Honorable Christopher R. Hart, Member, House of Representatives

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]]> http://www.scag.gov/archives/6607/feed 0 April 20, 2012 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6603 http://www.scag.gov/archives/6603#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:26:57 +0000 agallego http://www.scag.gov/?p=6603 Opinion “regarding a co-fiduciary’s duty to provide information to another co-fiduciary and a co-fiduciary’s duty to request from another co-fiduciary information that he deems necessary to perform his duties”.

Requested by: The Honorable Curtis M. Loftis, Jr., South Carolina State Treasurer

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