Lawyer is fined $75K in hawk-trapping case
A prominent South Carolina attorney emotionally took a plea Monday in a Charleston federal wildlife case over hawks trapped and killed on his 1,790-acre property.
Charles Williams, 66, told a federal magistrate he was ashamed to be in court as she sentenced him to a year of probation, 50 hours of community service at the Center for Birds of Prey in Awendaw, a one-year hunting ban and a $75,000 fine in the misdemeanor case, the Times and Democrat reports.
“I’m thinking of how stupid I was to do it. I embarrassed my family and my friends,” Williams said as he held a tissue to his eyes. “I’ve tried to do right with my life. I love hunting, but that’s no excuse.”
Two co-defendants faced fewer counts and received lesser sentences in the hawk-trapping, which was done to protect quail Williams released on his property.
The feds had sought to have the court impose a $100,000 fine and a three-year hunting ban on Williams, an earlier article in the State reported.
An anonymous tip prompted state wildlife authorities to investigate the case. They installed video cameras with motion sensors near traps they found on Williams’ land and brought the feds in.
The red-tailed hawks at issue are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Plus, federal prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum, the baited traps used to capture them were inhumane, because days sometimes passed before they were checked.
In addition to operating a law practice in Orangeburg, Williams serves on the board of trustees for the University of South Carolina, without taking a per diem, and is an active volunteer in his church and community, his lawyer told the court.
