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South Carolina circuit court judge Martha Rivers denied a motion for a mistrial filed in the civil case against disgraced landowner Rhett Riviere.
Twice arrested by agents of the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Riviere will remain on trial for purportedly recording the intimate acts of a married couple in 2001.
“A trial judge should try every attempt to cure the issue rather than grant a mistrial,” Rivers said Friday in response to a mistrial motion from Riviere’s attorneys. “I do not see another way to instruct the jury on the intrusive nature of (Riviere’s) behavior.”
In 2019, Airbnb stopped doing business with Riviere when his former live-in girlfriend accused him of voyeurism —leading to the state’s discovery of approximately 21,000 hidden videos.
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RELATED | AIRBNB VOYEURISM TRIAL BEGINS
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As he awaited trial on multiple civil and criminal cases, Riviere found himself facing scrutiny after a police report was filed in June of this year related to an incident at a Dollar General store located in Prosperity, S.C.
According to a local police department report (.pdf), a “very upset” teenage female reported standing in line at this store when she heard a camera “go off” behind her.
“The complainant stated that when she turned around the subject would not look at her and the complainant noticed the subject’s phone was pointed toward her butt,” the report noted.
Surveillance footage obtained by this media outlet appears to show Riviere following the teenager through the Dollar General and standing behind her as she waits to checkout. The footage shows Riviere holding something to his waist and pointing it in the direction of the teenager as she stands just a few feet in front of him.
This story may be updated.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Cut from a bloodline of outlaws and lawmen alike, he was the first of his family to graduate college which was accomplished with honors. Got a story idea or news tip for Andy? Email him directly and connect with him socially across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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