MARLBORO COUNTY, S.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – With a half-hour to spare, Tammy Bullock’s red Cadillac wheeled into the Bennettsville Law enforcement Division parking great deal. The previous Marlboro County Deputy Probate Decide opened her doorway and popped open her Gamecocks umbrella.

Her lawyer joined Bullock and the pair walked into the town courtroom for Bullock’s preliminary hearing well prepared to launch an assault on the felony pointing and presenting demand submitted against her Nov. 4.

Bullock was booked into the Marlboro County jail on Nov. 4 just after surrendering to BPD investigators. The office charged Bullock on Feb. 5 with a misdemeanor pointing and presenting town ordinance just after Bullock’s roommate advised law enforcement the then-deputy probate judge pointed a gun in her face and threatened to shoot her inside the property the women of all ages rented on Palmetto Street.

Police investigators upgraded Bullock’s charge to the condition-level felony pointing and presenting demand on Nov. 4. The upgraded demand meant the city’s first misdemeanor cost was dismissed.

“I’ll f—ing shoot you Shanda,” the sufferer in the case, Shanda Nash, quoted Bullock as expressing when Nash interviewed with FOX 46 in August. Nash was inside the courtroom for Bullock’s preliminary listening to on Nov. 22.

“She (Nash) said that Mrs. Bullock then comes out her bedroom and pointed a silver handgun in her face which built her slide to flooring. Mrs. Nash’s daughter also mentioned a identical story. When I interviewed the defendant, she experienced a a little distinctive story,” Bennettsville Law enforcement Investigator Amber Hendrix instructed the court from the witness stand Monday.

Hendrix testified that Nash’s “juvenile” daughter also witnessed the face between Bullock and Nash and that the daughter also gave investigators a online video recorded assertion in February.

“Mrs. Bullock stated Mrs. Nash was throwing items all-around, which is why she arrived out her place. Mrs. Bullock did confess to acquiring a handgun in her hand through my job interview, but she also stated it was down by her side. She also mentioned she hardly ever pointed the handgun at Mrs. Nash,” Hendrix testified.

Bullock’s legal professional, Leary McKenzie, questioned Hendrix about the department’s conclusion to upgrade the cost extra than nine months later, “So, what’s new? What new proof is there to warrant rising my client’s charge from a misdemeanor to a felony,” McKenzie questioned.

“Seemed like the greatest to do at the time,” Hendrix stated.

BPD Main Kevin Miller advised FOX 46 Chief Investigator Jody Barr he would have the Bullock investigation “reviewed” subsequent an interview on Oct. 11, “Just to, at the time again, reaffirm my pledge to all people that—on both sides—that we’re going to make sure that we do everything feasible right here to make sure this situation is performed 100% the proper way the 1st time. I really do not want to leave everything to query to anybody.”

Bullock’s primary misdemeanor cost carried a high-quality and up to 30 times in jail, if convicted. The upgraded felony cost could carry up to 5 yrs in prison on a conviction.  

The main experienced the town lawyer overview his department’s handling of the situation. The legal professional found no wrongdoing, as did the Condition Legislation Enforcement Division after Miller asked SLED to examine his department’s handling of the Bullock circumstance.

“At this time no details or evidence has been attained to warrant SLED opening a new criminal investigation into this matter. There is no proof to point out nearly anything improper was completed by the arresting company or officers.  Any cursory review of the first arrest would be taken care of by the City Lawyer or Solicitor’s Office environment,” a SLED spokesman wrote in a assertion on Oct. 12.

The city resolved to dismiss the misdemeanor demand and enhance the gun charge subsequent the inner assessment.

“I want individuals to understand no matter if or not me likely to one more point out law enforcement company, going to the solicitor’s office environment, owning an independent review by our very own town attorney—I will need that transparency since I require the public to understand that we’re in a posture that we know we have to count on the public’s have faith in and at no time do I at any time want to simply call that into query,” Miller told FOX 46 in October.

Miller was not at Bullock’s hearing and is not outlined as a witness in the circumstance. Bullock’s legal professional explained he submitted a subpoena with the city for Miller’s attendance. Miller told FOX 46 he is out of state on a family vacation that was scheduled months in the past.

Bullock’s legal professional also went immediately after the gun evidence investigators gathered, pointing out what he observed as “inconsistencies” in Nash’s description of the gun she claimed Bullock pointed at her deal with. Bullock admitted to carrying two guns with her all through the argument: one in her purse and another in her hand. Bullock owns a Smith and Wesson .380 caliber, which is black.

Bullock also owns a purple and silver-coloured handgun, in accordance to testimony at Monday’s hearing.

Nash’s statement to investigators in February demonstrates Nash precisely explained both of those of Bullock’s guns, but Bullock’s legal professional argued Nash erred in her description of which gun she claimed Bullock pointed at her head in February.

“They designed me search bad. I in no way explained there was a hammer, I could not recall. I know it was silver. I have no purpose to lie but when you have a gun pointed in your facial area you might be not searching for aspects in the gun,” Nash explained to FOX 46 following the hearing.

McKenzie continued questioning Hendrix more than many other elements in the circumstance, particularly his frustrations above a discovery request he filed with the metropolis on Oct. 26. McKenzie questioned Hendrix in excess of why discovery in the circumstance was not supplied to him as of Monday’s listening to.

Choose Dominicia Stuckey stopped McKenzie through his cross-evaluation to remind him of the purpose of Monday’s hearing.

“Mr. McKenzie, this hearing is simply for possible induce, so I need to have you to restrict your question to the evidence she’s presented just for the probable result in. If you have any other fears, any other motions, they are within just the jurisdiction of standard sessions and I urge you to present them to that circuit court docket judge since ideal now we’re just managing possible induce, okay,” Stuckey reported.

“Your honor, I do have a couple of other motions. As Detective Hendrix pointed out before, my shopper was originally billed less than a town ordinance and it was dismissed. Now she’s in this article going through an increased demand for the exact set of facts that gave increase to that original cost. This is double jeopardy, your honor. This is inside of your provision to dismiss this scenario,” McKenzie argued.

Whilst Bullock was set to be tried using on the metropolis misdemeanor demand on Nov. 16, the scenario was dismissed, and the trial never ever happened.

“No person shall be subject to the exact same offense to be 2 times place in jeopardy of everyday living or liberty. South Carolina pretty a lot mirrors the U.S. Structure,” McKenzie argued to the judge as the reason Bullock’s charge must be dismissed.

“Your movement is denied,” Stuckey advised McKenzie.

McKenzie designed at the very least two motions to dismiss the case from Bullock for the duration of the listening to. Stuckey denied both motions, together with one remaining try from Bullock’s facet to encourage there was no probable cause for her arrest on Nov. 4.

“Your honor, I move that this issue be dismissed for deficiency of probable lead to, the common is rather clear—a reasonable human being would have to think a crime is committed, and my customer did it, the statements inconsistent—describes a gun that is nonexistent. A gun with a hammer, a silver gun and she essentially says she intended the purple gun, she hardly ever pointed out purple,” McKenzie said.

“It’s just too farfetched, your honor, given the conditions. Roommates fighting, just one remaining compelled to go away the home, times later on submitted a police report. It is just not believable, your honor. I really do not believe that it rises to the degree of possible cause and we talk to that this issue be dismissed,” McKenzie stated in his remaining assertion to the choose.

Bullock’s lawful combat to continue to keep her scenario out of the state’s felony courts unsuccessful.  

“Based on the totality of the evidence offered, I find that there is probable cause for the arrest, this scenario is bound in excess of to basic classes court docket and we are adjourned,” Stuckey said as she gathered her paperwork and left the bench.

Typically Bullock’s scenario would be prosecuted by 4^th Circuit Solicitor Will Rogers’ place of work. Rogers cited a conflict of curiosity in a different criminal investigation involving Bullock from allegations she helped ransack a useless man’s dwelling in lookup of his will on Jan. 24.

Bullock is accused of impersonating a choose when she fulfilled with Hollis Slade’s sister on Jan. 24, proclaiming she was a “probate judge” in an audio recording captured by safety cameras outside Slade’s household. Slade’s sister, Beth Boling, told FOX 46 and SLED Bullock determined herself as a probate choose when Boling arrived at her late brother’s residence on Jan. 24, the working day next his death.

Bullock is also accused of being existing when Slade’s good friends carried home out of his house and loaded it into their vehicles. This transpired when Slade’s wife, Joyce, was inside of the dwelling. Joyce Slade suffers from severe dementia.

SLED opened a legal investigation into Bullock on August 30. That investigation is ongoing.

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