Franklin Fields, a 56-year-old resident of the small town of Yemassee, South Carolina, located in Beaufort County, was arrested in Charleston on January 26, 2019 on a felony count of Indecent Exposure. The following morning in Bond Court, Magistrate Joanna Summey-Fuller of the North Area Magistrate Court 3 (located in North Charleston) let Fields walk on a $2,500.00 personal recognizance bond.

While it is not known of the nature of Fields' circumstance that led to his arrest, we do know that he has no previous record of note in Charleston County. We also know that Fields is a habitual traffic offender -- in Beaufort County alone, he has been subject to 16 legal actions relating to his driving -- resulting in eight findings of guilt by Bench Trial.

The record of Mr. Fields, rich in misdemeanor traffic offenses and now one criminal record, is not the most daunting of our previous reporting; however, it was puzzling -- at best -- for Judge Summey-Fuller to release him on personal recognizance bond. With the such a high outflow of PR bonds from Judge Baldwin, it is of slight surprise to see a relatively unknown magistrate authorize the release of Mr. Fields.

But, Charleston is plagued with a judiciary weak on crime -- a prime indicator of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council's work. It is up to us as a community to instill meaningful change within our city. And with a healthy stream of information from our staff, we can make a difference. Share this article and feel free to message us with any of your questions.