South Carolina Bill Seeks To Criminalize ‘Coercive Control’

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One year after the death of South Carolina worship leader Mica Francis Miller, a Palmetto State lawmaker has introduced legislation that would make “coercive control” in domestic relationships a criminal offense. The bill – S. 588 – was introduced on April 22, 2025 by senator Stephen Goldfinch of Murrells Inlet, S.C. It aims to expand the state’s definition of domestic violence to include patterns of controlling, isolating and threatening behavior that stop short of physical assault.

Mica’s death – exclusively reported by FITSNews – galvanized public demand for better domestic violence protections. Her story continues to provide a poignant real-world backdrop to the push for a coercive control law.

Miller was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head at North Carolina’s Lumber River State Park – a sprawling 14,000-acre wilderness located roughly an hour’s drive northwest of her hometown of Myrtle Beach, S.C.. Her body was found at this secluded location a short time after she called 911 asking the operator to pinpoint her phone – stating she was “going to kill herself” and wanted her family to be able to find her body.

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Mica traveled to the park earlier that day – and her body was ultimately found in a swampy area approximately 40 meters from where police recovered spent shell casings and her belongings. North Carolina authorities ultimately ruled her death a suicide, however Mica’s family has fiercely challenged that conclusion – believing that alleged abuse at the hands of her husband, pastor John-Paul Miller, led directly or indirectly to her death.

They noted that Mica died 48 hours after her estranged husband was served with divorce papers – and they theorize either foul play was involved or extreme psychological torment pushed Mica over the edge.

Last November, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant at Miller’s residence, indicating a broader federal interest in the circumstances surrounding these deaths. Additionally, Miller was arrested on charges of third-degree assault and battery following a confrontation with a protester outside his church.

Mica’s case remains controversial – so much so that protesters still gather outside John-Paul Miller’s church, holding “Justice for Mica” signs and chanting each Sunday, months after her death.

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THE LANGUAGE

The proposed South Carolina bill would create a new felony offense of “coercive control” within the state’s domestic violence laws. The bill defines coercive behavior as “an act or pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation, manipulation, intimidation, or other abuse, including emotional abuse, that is used to harm, punish, or frighten another person”. It likewise defines controlling behavior as “a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate or dependent by isolating the person from sources of support, exploiting the person’s resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving the person of the means needed for independence, resistance, or escape, or regulating the person’s everyday behavior.”

These provisions would apply in situations where the perpetrator and victim are “personally connected” – meaning current or former intimate partners or household members. Under the bill, it would be unlawful to “repeatedly or continuously” engage in a course of coercive or controlling conduct toward a partner or family member if that behavior causes the victim to fear “on at least two occasions” that violence will be used against them – or causes such mental distress that their day-to-day activities are substantially adversely affected.

In other words, prosecutors would have to show a pattern of ongoing abuse resulting in either repeated fear of violence or serious psychological harm to the victim. As mentioned, violations would be deemed felonies – punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000 for each act.

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The proposed legislation provided examples of coercive control to guide courts and law enforcement. These include isolating the victim from friends and family, depriving them of basic needs, monitoring their movements or communications, controlling where they go and whom they see, financial abuse, repeated insults or humiliation, threats to harm or kill the victim or their children, threats to reveal private information for blackmail and even outright physical or sexual abuse in the context of controlling someone.

On their own, these behaviors might not currently amount to standalone crimes – but according to the language in the bill, together they would form a pattern of domination and fear. To assist in proving such cases, the bill also listed types of evidence that could be used – emails, text messages and social media posts documenting abuse, photos of injuries or property damage, 911 recordings, police body-camera footage, medical records, witness testimony from friends or family, and evidence of financial control (including bank records).

By spelling out admissible evidence, lawmakers hope to make it easier to build cases showing long-term patterns of coercive behavior. Importantly, S.588 carves out certain exceptions to avoid criminalizing legitimate authority or caregiving relationships. Actions taken under legal authority – such as a power of attorney, legal guardianship, or a parent disciplining a minor child – would not be considered “coercive control” so long as the person in power is acting in the other’s best interest and in an objectively reasonable manner.

The bill explicitly notes that it is never a reasonable defense if the actions caused the victim to fear violence. This exemption is meant to address scenarios like caretakers managing an elderly person’s finances or medical decisions; such authority, when lawfully granted and responsibly exercised, would not fall under criminal scrutiny. Aside from those exceptions, the proposed law is quite broad in targeting an array of abusive behaviors.

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RELATED | REMEMBERING MICA FRANCIS MILLER

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The push for a coercive control law in South Carolina mirrors a broader international movement recognizing the devastating impact of non-physical abuse in domestic relationships. Jurisdictions like the United Kingdom, Ireland, and parts of Australia have already enacted similar measures in recent years. England and Wales, for example, criminalized coercive control in 2015 — making it an offense punishable by up to five years in prison. These laws were introduced in response to growing evidence that psychological abuse and controlling behavior can be just as dangerous (and in some cases, even deadlier) than physical violence.

Advocates in the United States have been pushing for comparable legislation at the state level, with Hawaii and California among the first to introduce legal protections against coercive control. However, progress has been slow — and South Carolina, despite consistently ranking among the most dangerous states in the nation for women, has lagged behind many others in expanding its domestic violence statutes to address these subtler forms of abuse.

The introduction of S. 588 represents a significant shift. By specifically targeting patterns of psychological manipulation, intimidation, and isolation — even when those actions stop short of physical violence — the bill acknowledges the impact of psychological abuse and controlling behaviors.

If enacted, supporters believe the legislation could close a critical gap in South Carolina’s domestic violence framework — offering new hope to victims who have too often been left without recourse until it was too late. Supporters of Mica Miller believe passage of such a law would lead to tangible, lasting change in the state she once called home.

S. 588 was referred to the Senate judiciary committee where it awaits a subcommittee hearing. It is currently unclear when lawmakers plan to take it up for debate.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.

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