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Billion dollar discrimination lawsuit could be dismissed

web posted September 30, 2009
EDGEFIELD – William Singletary, who has filed a $1 billion lawsuit against defendants including the Edgefield Police Department, Edgefield Mayor Ken Durham, the Town of Edgefield, and the Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office, is close to having his case dismissed according to court documents made available on Tuesday. Mr. Singletary stated again earlier this week his main goal in the lawsuit is to see all the officials named resign and was upbeat after receiving the filings. “The fact they didn’t dismiss it (the lawsuit) is good news,” Singletary said.

Although the report from US Magistrate Bristow Marchant filed on September 22 allows Mr. Singletary’s case to continue, it has placed a burden on Singletary to produce factual and clear direct incidents to support his claims within twenty days or a ruling could be handed down to dismiss the case.

“If the plaintiff fails to submit an Amended Complaint as is instructed herein within the time frame ordered by the Court, then in that event this case should be dismissed, with prejudice,” the “Report and Recommendation” read which would end the case and prevent Singletary from trying to file again at a later date.

If the proper amendments to the complaint are filed within the next 11 days, the court will consider the case again. Mr. Singletary has also filed for a change of venue to bring a federal case to the Edgefield County Courthouse because his witnesses are poor and have limited or no available transportation to attend the trial if held in Charleston.

The ruling on the change of venue is pending the requested documentation by Singletary as to whether the case should even be considered for trial.

Singletary filed the original lawsuit in March seeking $25 million claiming racial discrimination, harassment, and even death threats by local law enforcement agencies and the number of parties grew exponentially as he called different officials or officers to make reports. 

Since then he has added a number of defendants and raised the stakes from $25 million to $150 million, and then to a final $1 billion before saying the money was not the object of his lawsuit.

As Singletary seized upon local media coverage to prove his case in the press, he provided media with a picture of his phone showing a 2:27 am phone call from the Sheriff’s Office that he claimed proved they were calling him at all hours of the night making threats, even while he was in jail in Richmond County on April 1.

As EdgefieldDaily.com reported in our investigation into the claim, Singletary was at his home and made a 911 call to the E911 dispatch and then hung up the phone, prompting dispatchers to try to re-establish a connection in the emergency call.

EdgefieldDaily.com is continuing to follow the case and will have more information as it becomes available.

The Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office, Edgefield Police Department, Mayor Ken Durham, the Town of Edgefield, and other parties named in the suit have repeatedly refused to comment on the case.

Related:
Singletary named in reported armed threat
web posted April 28, 2009

Photo of phone call exposes false claim by Singletary
web posted April 24, 2009

The Billion Dollar man
web posted April 22, 2009

Singletary ups demand for damages in amended lawsuit, seeks resignations
web posted April 16, 2009

Edgefield man suing Sheriff's Office, Edgefield, and EPD arrested again
web posted April 9, 2009

Singletary raises stakes in lawsuit, seeks $150 million
web posted April 7, 2009

Edgefield man sues Town of Edgefield, Mayor, Police Department, and Sheriff’s Office seeking $25 million
web posted March 31, 2009