Founding partner
Sloan Ellis
Nearly a decade prosecuting federal white-collar matters, drug offences and violent crime, working directly with the FBI, DEA, IRS and Homeland Security.
Read Sloan’s bio
Greenville criminal defense
Being charged is not the same as being convicted. Whatever is on the paperwork right now, it is the start of a process, not the end of one.
Navigating the aftermath of a criminal charge in Greenville is not an easy process, especially if you’ve never faced anything like this before. Being charged doesn’t automatically mean you will be convicted. You need an experienced attorney by your side who can advocate for you every step of the way.
Ironside Criminal Defense is managed by two former state and federal prosecutors who know exactly how cases are built, because they spent years on the other side of the courtroom. Our Greenville criminal defense attorneys can guide you through every step of the process and work to get you the best outcome possible. Give us a call at 864-775-5775 or contact us through our online form.
Practice
Each type of crime follows its own process in South Carolina, so the details of your specific charge matter. Ironside Criminal Defense handles a broad range of criminal cases:
Also handled
We also represent people charged with cyber crimes, disorderly conduct, and public intoxication.
Classification
South Carolina sorts most crimes into classes for sentencing: six felony classes, A through F, for more serious offenses, and three misdemeanor classes, A through C, for less serious ones. A misdemeanor here is not always capped at one year and a Class A misdemeanor carries up to three years. Below are the maximum prison terms for classified offenses:
| Class | Maximum prison term |
|---|---|
| Class A felony | Not more than 30 years |
| Class B felony | Not more than 25 years |
| Class C felony | Not more than 20 years |
| Class D felony | Not more than 15 years |
| Class E felony | Not more than 10 years |
| Class F felony | Not more than five years |
| Class A misdemeanor | Not more than three years |
| Class B misdemeanor | Not more than two years |
| Class C misdemeanor | Not more than one year |
Offenses with a maximum term of less than one year are misdemeanors outside of this system, and they carry the penalty set in their own statute. The class sets the most the law allows, not necessarily what a court will order.
After an arrest
A state charge in Greenville County generally moves through these stages:
Anyone charged with a “bailable offense” must have a bond hearing within 24 hours of arrest. A bond sets the conditions for your release before trial, and can include the payment of money to secure your release and conditions such as home incarceration until the case is resolved.
Magistrate and municipal courts hear offenses carrying up to a $500 fine, 30 days, or both, plus others if a statute assigns them. More serious charges go to the Court of General Sessions, the circuit court’s criminal division.
The prosecution shares its evidence with the defense through discovery, which can include police reports, witness statements, video, and lab results.
A case can end in dismissal, a diversion program, a plea, or a trial. If you are already on probation, a new charge can also lead to a separate probation violation hearing.
Getting charged with a crime doesn’t always mean a permanent stain on your record. There are several diversion programs that allow some people to resolve their charge without a conviction by completing certain requirements. For example, the 13th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, the prosecutor’s office for Greenville and Pickens counties, runs programs like pretrial intervention (PTI), Alcohol Education Program, and Drug Court.
Admission to PTI is based on the solicitor’s recommendation. The law does exclude some people and charges, including DUI charges, crimes of violence (as defined by state law) and anyone that has completed PTI before.
You may be able to get your arrest removed from your record through an expungement. This is usually available for dismissed charges, completed PTI and certain first offenses, but it’s never a guarantee. Eligibility depends on your charge, your record, and the solicitor’s decision. This is one of the first things we’ll review when working on your case.
If your spouse, friend, child, or grandchild has been arrested, you do not need to know the legal terms to help. Here’s what you should do if you find yourself in this situation:
You do not need to have the answers before you call. Tell us what you know, and we will explain what your loved one is facing and what happens next.
What happens next
In your own words, at your own pace. We will ask questions, and some of them will be uncomfortable. Nothing you say surprises us.
What the charge actually means, how it is usually handled, and what is realistic. Including the parts you would rather not hear.
What we intend to do, what we need from you, and what happens on what date. You should never be surprised by a result.
We make the first move, so the prosecutor reviewing your file sees a person with a story rather than a name on a warrant.
On costCost is usually the first question, and we answer it before you decide anything. If your case goes to trial, our fee does not go up.
The people on your case
You are not handed to an associate and you are not handed to an intake screener. Sloan and Brandi manage every case the firm takes.
Founding partner
Nearly a decade prosecuting federal white-collar matters, drug offences and violent crime, working directly with the FBI, DEA, IRS and Homeland Security.
Read Sloan’s bio
Founding partner
Thousands of criminal cases as a state and federal prosecutor, including large-scale trafficking and South Carolina's largest federal racketeering conspiracy case.
Read Brandi’s bioWhere we appear
Ironside Criminal Defense is based in Greenville and appears across South Carolina, in state court and in federal court. Where your case is filed does not change who handles it.
Every size of case
People worry that a traffic charge is beneath a firm like ours, or that a federal investigation is beyond it. Neither is true, and the same two attorneys handle both.
Plenty of our clients have never stood in a courtroom before. A magistrate-court charge still gets a real review, a real plan, and a partner on it. Small to a lawyer is not small to the person whose licence or record is on the line.
Sloan and Brandi have worked federal white-collar matters, large-scale drug trafficking prosecutions and South Carolina's largest federal racketeering conspiracy case. A subpoena from the Department of Justice is familiar ground here, not new territory.
Two former prosecutors manage every case the firm takes. That does not change with the charge.
Common questions
Short answers. None of them replace a conversation about your own case.
A misdemeanor is still a criminal charge, and a conviction can leave a record that appears on background checks for jobs and housing. Handling it on your own can be tricky if you’re not familiar with the law. Our Greenville criminal defense attorneys look early at what defenses you may have, whether a diversion program may apply, whether the record could later be expunged and explain your options.
You don’t have to answer questions from the police. You should remain polite and let them know you’d like to speak with a lawyer before answering questions about what happened. You have a constitutional right to not answer questions from law enforcement.
Even if the alleged victim doesn’t want to press charges, a criminal case in South Carolina is brought by the State, not the alleged victim, so the decision to move forward rests with the prosecutor. The alleged victim can still confer with the prosecution and be heard at the bond hearing, plea, and sentencing.
A dismissed charge can stay on public records until a court orders it to be removed. If a magistrate or municipal court charge is dismissed, “nolle prossed” (formally dropped), or ends in a not-guilty finding, and you were fingerprinted, the court issues that order at no cost. Different expungement rules apply for charges in General Sessions court, and federal charges cannot be expunged.
A state charge is brought under South Carolina law by the circuit solicitor or state Attorney General after an investigation by state law enforcement officers. A federal charge is brought under federal law by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, after an investigation by federal agents working for agencies like the FBI, DEA, ATF , Homeland Security or IRS..
The length of a case depends on which court hears it, how long discovery takes, whether a diversion program applies, and whether the case is resolved with a dismissal, a plea or goes to trial. At the first meeting, we will tell you what your timeline is likely to look like, and we will update you as it changes.
The first consultation with one of our Ironside Criminal Defense attorneys is free. We are transparent and upfront about pricing. Your fee depends on the charge and the work the case requires, and it does not go up if the case goes to trial. You will know the cost before you decide anything.
Whether you are the one charged or you are calling for someone you love, the first step is an honest conversation with an experienced attorney. Our attorneys will explain what the charge means, what comes next, and what we would do if you decide to move forward with us. Don’t let a criminal charge define the rest of your life. Call 864-775-5775 or contact our team online.
Contact
What comes next depends on how you move forward from it. Tell us what happened, and we will tell you what you are facing. Our consultations are free, and with an attorney.
21 Augusta Street, Suite C
Greenville, SC 29601
Free, and with an attorney. Sloan or Brandi reads every inquiry.