WHO IS THE MOST QUALIFIED TO SERVE YOU AS ATTORNEY GENERAL?

JOB DESCRIPTION - SC ATTORNEY GENERAL: 

Before you decide who should hold an elected office, it helps to understand what the job actually requires:

The Attorney General serves as South Carolina's Chief Legal Officer, Securities Commissioner, and Chief Prosecuting Officer of the State.

Read what this means here: https://www.scag.gov/about-the-office/our-responsibilities/

The Attorney General is The People's Attorney — responsible for defending South Carolina's laws and constitution in court, protecting consumers, safeguarding public resources, enforcing securities law, issuing binding legal opinions, and protecting your interests. The Attorney General may institute, conduct, and maintain all such suits and proceedings as are necessary for the enforcement of the laws of the State, the preservation of order, and the protection of public rights. These legal actions most often occur in federal court, including the U.S. Supreme Court — the last stop for the protection of your rights and the interests of South Carolina.

Most people understandably think the Attorney General is South Carolina's day-to-day criminal prosecutor.

That isn't how South Carolina's system works. The AG's own Accountability Report states "In South Carolina, Solicitors prosecute most crimes."  See, S.C. Attorney General's Office, FY2005–06 Accountability Report, p.30.  

The sixteen elected Circuit Solicitors are the full-time prosecutors responsible for virtually all criminal cases in their judicial circuits.

The Attorney General's Office supervises attorneys who handle specialized statewide criminal matters—including public corruption, securities fraud, environmental crimes, appeals, and other matters assigned by law—but the Attorney General personally rarely serves as the trial lawyer in criminal cases. For example, in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial, it was Senior Assistant Deputy AG Attorney Creighton Waters who conducted the trial (NOT Attorney General Alan Wilson). That wasn't unusual.

It shows how the Office actually works and how the job of the Attorney General is very different from a Solicitor.

The daily work of the office requires a senior lawyer with significant experience in all of these areas:

Constitutional law, federal litigation and appellate practice, complex civil litigation, taxation, public finance, securities, and the authority and structure of government itself. 

AS CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER — THE STATE'S LAWYER AND LITIGATOR

• A corporation is polluting a South Carolina river — what legal actions can the State bring, and in which court state or federal?
• This company is harming South Carolinians the way it caused harm in other states — should we investigate or sue, as other Attorneys General have?
• Why are the prices of eggs and event tickets so high? Are people being gouged? 
• What chemicals are in those drinks and food? Are they dangerous and not disclosed?
• Should South Carolina file an amicus brief in a case pending before the United States Supreme Court?
• A county council asks: How can we allocate tax revenues? Interpret a bond finance statute? 
• Is this newly passed state statute constitutional — and can we defend it and win on appeal?
• Does this newly passed law of a county or municipality violate Home Rule?
• What is a civil lawsuit involving SC harms worth? Should this be handled in house or should we use outside counsel?
• Are these outside-counsel fee agreements a good deal for the taxpayers — or are they enriching insiders?
• Where do our claims stand in the other states' cases — how far along are they? Can we bring ours here in South Carolina, file in federal court, or join the consolidated national case? And is this proposed settlement actually a good deal for us? 

AS THE STATE'S DEFENDER AGAINST FEDERAL OVERREACH

• Should the State of South Carolina sue the federal government over these new federal regulations?
• Should we challenge this newly passed federal law as a violation of the State's rights under the Constitution?
• Should we issue a formal position to Congress on this pending federal legislation?

AS SECURITIES COMMISSIONER

• Was this investment scheme fraudulent or an unlawful solicitation of securities?
• Who committed the fraud? How much money was lost? Who was behind the scheme who should be pursued?

AS CHIEF PROSECUTING OFFICER

• How should our staff attorneys coordinate and use the State Grand Jury for public corruption and other complex, multi-county criminal prosecutions?
• How can we support Solicitors (and law enforcement) on their toughest cases?

Read the actual legal questions asked of the Attorney General - and notice the broad legal expertise they require.

 SC Attorney General Opinions: https://www.scag.gov/opinions/opinions-archive/  

The questions are well beyond the scope of the legal issues within a county solicitor's office.

 The Attorney General's Office is one of the most complex legal jobs in South Carolina. 

It requires much more than prosecuting criminal cases. 

With degrees and experience in both Accounting and Law, Richard Hricik has spent three decades standing up to large corporations, insurance companies, and powerful interests on behalf of ordinary people. He also brings significant expertise as a law school professor teaching Constitutional Law and Constitutional Rights as well as litigating complex cases in all federal courts including the U.S. Supreme Court.

 That is the job of the modern Attorney General and Richard is ready to go to work:

• ✓ ETHICS - Appointed by the South Carolina Supreme Court to assist in investigating attorney ethics complaints & was recently appointed to the South Carolina Bar Ethics Advisory Committee; offers expert opinions on attorney malpractice
• ✓ CONSTITUTIONAL LAW — Teaches Constitutional Rights at two law schools, and previously at Charleston Southern University teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in various legal topics to criminal justice students & professionals 
• ✓ COMPLEX CIVIL LITIGATION — 30 years in state and federal courts against the government and some of the largest corporate defendants, insurance companies, and powerful interests. 
• ✓ FEDERAL COURT & APPELLATE ADVOCACY — Fourth Circuit win and a United States Supreme Court win with a successful Petition for Writ of Certiorari
• ✓ CONSUMER PROTECTION LAW — Handled cases of fraud, deception, and unfair trade practices 
• ✓ CORPORATE MISCONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS — Built cases against powerful defendants using document and data analysis - forensic accounting with reconstruction of the financial records of failed savings & loans
• ✓ ACCOUNTING, TAX, & FINANCIAL ANALYSIS — Big 8 international accounting background with expertise in taxation, finance, and complex financial structures 
• ✓ ENVIRONMENTAL & TOXIC EXPOSURE LITIGATION — Brought several toxic mold cases, carbon monoxide and others requiring understanding scientific proof
• ✓ LARGE-SCALE SETTLEMENTS — Resolved multi-million dollar cases involving numerous defendants.  
• ✓ ATTORNEY FEE AGREEMENTS — South Carolina Supreme Court-appointed Attorney Fee Dispute Hearing Officer with extensive experience in attorney fee agreements and their legal and ethical limits.

THE RECORD SPEAKS (Details at https://charlestonlawyer.com/meet-richard-1)

 Anybody can make promises. 

Here's what Richard has already done. 

Allen Benedict Court: Two men died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a Columbia public housing complex with 869 code violations and no carbon monoxide detectors. The case was dismissed. Richard appealed — and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals held the facts “shock the conscience: deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of harm.” 

The case settled for $2+ million and helped bring accountability to public housing nationwide. 

 “Out of the death of Calvin Witherspoon is going to come positive change. Public housing authorities here in South Carolina — especially here in Columbia — and across the country are now on notice: they must put public safety first.” - Richard

Williams v. Charleston County Sheriff's Office: After a deputy killed a mother and her two daughters, the Sheriff's Office claimed an immunity from civil rights that no neighboring state grants. Richard challenged a thirty-year precedent all the way to the United States Supreme Court — which vacated the immunity ruling.

Hurricane Helene Voter Registration: Richard secured emergency court relief to protect the voting rights of South Carolinians affected by Hurricane Helene — a non-partisan constitutional victory for every citizen, regardless of party.

  “This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s an issue of the public good and ensuring the right to vote is protected for everyone.” - Richard

The Attorney General's job is to protect YOU, South Carolina, and the Rule of Law in many different ways.

My promise is to go to work for you and the people of South Carolina.

My no-money pledge is the guarantee that nothing will stop me.

No donations. No obligations. No favors owed.

Just YOU and The Rule of Law.