His tears came before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shiva Hodges fined him $75,000 for trapping and shooting the federally-protected birds. Williams and three associates had agreed to plead guilty to the killings.
“I’m ashamed to be here,” Williams of Orangeburg said as he choked back tears. “I’m sorry. I’m embarrassed for my children, for my friends. I tried to do right all my life and be an example for my children. I love hunting, but that is no excuse.”
Those are crocodile tears. He's bawling because 1-he got caught and 2-the embarrassment he has inflicted on his employer and family
It was one of the largest fines in the nation levied against an individual in years for killing wildlife, according to a list of federal fines for that read in court.
Evidence showed Williams trapped and killed hawks preying on penned quail he was raising for hunting on his nearly 1,800-acre plantation.
Hodges also ordered Williams, 66, to perform 50 hours of community service at a Lowcountry wildlife center where officials took an injured hawk he shot, but did not kill.
Williams, an avid hunter, was also banned from hunting for JUST a year.
Federal prosecutor Eric Klumb had asked for a $100,000 fine and a three-year hunting ban.
But Hodges questioned Klumb for more than 20 minutes about whether such a sizable fine was too punitive in comparison with more than a dozen others around the nation.
Although the $100,000 fine was higher than others, Klumb insisted it was appropriate because Williams engaged in systematic trapping and killing of 31 birds in 2013 and 2014.
Williams, a well-to-do lawyer, can afford a fine of that magnitude, he said.
A hefty fine would “send a message” to others who trap and kill the hawks that this behavior will not be tolerated, the prosecutor said.
“These birds were killed in a very inhumane way,” he said.
Williams ordered three employees at the plantation to assist in the effort, Klumb said.
Federal officials could have brought more charges against Williams but allowed him and three others to agree to plead guilty to partial charges.
The American Justice System: As long as you're wealthy and well-connected, you get breaks/deals. Some poor schmuck redneck doing this would be in jail now.
Just before sentencing, Williams’ attorney state Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, cited Williams’ record of public service.
That included Williams’ time as a member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission and trustee at S.C. State University before taking on a similar role at USC in 2010.
Williams long sponsored Easter egg hunts, given 250 turkeys to needy families every Thanksgiving and is a major supporter of youth sports. He is also active in church leadership and the Red Cross, gives scholarships to the USC law school and has wildlife sanctuaries on his plantation, Hutto said.
“He’s a pillar of the community,” Hutto declared.
Hutto criticized news coverage of the matter, saying Williams “has been tried in the court of public opinion. He has been tried not for what he did, but for who he is.”
The hawks aren’t rare and endangered but do qualify for federal protection, Hutto acknowledged.
Jim Elliott, executive director of the Center for Birds of Prey in the Lowcountry, said afterward that the penalty given Williams will help educate hunters and the public about the role hawks play.
“They have a vital, crucial role in the ecosystem,” Elliott said. “Birds of prey control rodent populations and provide so many things in the system.”
Williams’ accomplices Jimmy Aiken and John Dantzler each were fined $1,000 and given a one-year ban on hunting. Charges against Alejandro Renteria Noyola will be settled later.
Hutto and Williams’ other lawyer, Gedney Howe, had asked for a fine around $5,000.
In 2013, an anonymous tip led state and federal wildlife officials to place hidden surveillance cameras on Williams’ plantation. Photographs of dead hawks and the trapping cages were shown to the judge Monday.
All the fines ultimately will go to federal wildlife protection efforts.
(The State - June 6 2016)
