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260 S.C. 507

Fields v. Leeke

Supreme Court of South Carolina

Decided June 7, 1973

Supreme Court of South Carolina · decided 1973-06-07

Decided 1973-06-07

Moss, Chief Justice.

¶1Cecil Tommy Fields, the appellant, was sentenced to pay a fine of $4,000.00 or serve a term of four years imprisonment. He was indigent, and was therefore, compelled to begin serving the sentence of four years.

¶2He applied to the Court of Common Pleas of Richland County for post-conviction relief. His contention is that the execution of the alternative sentence deprived him of equal protection of the laws as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. He argues that he is incarcerated solely because he lacked funds with which to pay the fine imposed.

¶3The lower court denied relief. Fields has appealed.

¶4The same issue involved herein is before the Court in the case of Richards, etc. v. Crump, etc. et al., 197 S. E. (2d) 298, being filed herewith.

¶5For the reason stated in that opinion, we are of the view that Fields is entitled to be resentenced by the Florence County Court of General Sessions and, accordingly, the case is

¶6Remanded.

Lewis, Bussey, Brailsford and Littlejohn, JJ., concur.
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