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It will be up to the South Carolina Insurance Reserve Fund (SCIRF) to handle a $2 million demand letter issued last month by a sitting Bluffton, S.C. town council member against the municipality over her arrest earlier this year.
Bridgette Frazier, one of four town council members, was stopped for speeding on March 9, 2024 and subsequently arrested for driving with a suspended license. According to her attorney, the suspension was due to an error on the part of the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV).
Frazier is calling it a case of “false arrest and false imprisonment.”
The 40-year-old council member is represented by lawyer/legislator Tiffany Spann-Wilder – who sent the town of Bluffton a letter dated June 25, 2024 demanding $2 million to “quietly” settle the matter. That’s a significant amount of money for a municipality with an annual budget of $90.6 million.
Frazier’s arresting officer, Richard Ramirez, has served with the Bluffton police department since September 2022. He reportedly acted based on Frazier’s driving record, which according to him included a history of unpaid traffic tickets and multiple suspensions. Court records from Florida and South Carolina have since revealed that Frazier had been cited for driving with a suspended license at least four times since 2006.
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In a media release (.pdf) issued this week, town officials sought to explain the steps they have taken since receiving the demand letter from Frazier’s attorney.
“Immediately upon receipt, the town forwarded the letter and settlement proposal to the Insurance Reserve Fund (IRF),” according to the media release. “The IRF, which provides property and liability coverage to over 1,000 state and local government organizations in South Carolina, will handle the settlement proposal and any future litigation in accordance with their standard policies and procedures.”
The media release further explained the charges against Frazier were dismissed when Bluffton police received written confirmation from SCDMV that her driving privileges were mistakenly listed as suspended. In a letter dated March 14, 2024, the state agency apologized “to Ms. Frazier and the court for this error and for any inconvenience this matter has caused.”
Beaufort County magistrate LaShonda G. Scott ordered all “records, including any outstanding bench warrants, related to this offense [be] expunged and destroyed.”
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Even so, Spann-Wilder claims Frazier “suffered great embarrassment, humiliation and harassment” as a result of the arrest.
What happens now?
“We respect the legal process,” Bluffton mayor Larry Toomer said. “This circumstance is rare from every angle. The Bluffton police officer acted based on the data provided to the (department). The Department of Motor Vehicles apologized for its error, and a judge has ordered all records related to this matter expunged. As a community, we must continue to respect the legal process until this matter is resolved. We are committed to navigating this situation with transparency while ensuring we do not interfere with the ongoing legal proceedings.”
In her demand letter, Spann-Wilder suggested the arresting officer could have handled the situation differently.
“Officer Ramirez could have simply issued a courtesy summons to Ms. Frazier who was and still serves as a council member for the Town of Bluffton,” she wrote. “She obviously was not going to flee from the area.”
FITSNews will continue to follow this developing situation and report on any relevant updates.
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THE RELEASE…
(Bluffton, S.C.)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Callie Lyons is a journalist, researcher and author. Her 2007 book ‘Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal’ was the first to cover forever chemicals and their impact on communities – a story later told in the movie ‘Dark Waters.’ Her investigative work has been featured in media outlets, publications, and documentaries all over the world. Lyons also appears in ‘Citizen Sleuth’ – a 2023 documentary exploring the genre of true crime.
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1 comment
The department didn’t do anything wrong. Mrs. Frazier needs to slow down and make sure her license doesn’t go under suspension again for what would be the 6th time or maybe more.