Swansea’s suspend mayor out on bond after pleading not guilty to charges

Swansea, SC 07/28/2021 (Paul Kirby) – Swansea’s suspended Mayor Jerald Sanders did face a judge in court Tuesday where he entered a plea of not guilty to charges that were brought against him by a Lexington County Grand Jury. Earlier in July, Sanders was charged with misconduct in office and embezzlement. SLED investigators say that Sanders had a town check written to a local charity that he had sole control of without the permission of the town’s council.

After entering his plea, the judge allowed Sanders to leave custody on his on personal recognizance. This type of release, also known as a PR bond, is based on the judge’s belief that the accused has a longstanding relationship with the community, lives with or near his closest family members, and he will return for all his court dates among other things. Judges can also take into consideration any probability that the defendant will reoffend while out on bond when deciding the bonds conditions or amount. By law, bond cannot be used as punishment because at that point, the accused has only been charged and not yet convicted of any crime.

Sanders next court date hasn’t been published yet.