A Charleston County couple and a Charleston divorce attorney will share a $2 million settlement after resolving a defamation claim against a man who allegedly placed defamatory signs about them around the city during contentious divorce proceedings with his wife, their attorneys report.
Brewer
Barrett Brewer of Mt. Pleasant, Chris Staubes of Mt. Pleasant, and Samuel Clawson Jr. and Christy Fargnoli of Clawson Fargnoli in Charleston report that their clients, Samuel and Angela King, had been friends with Charles Elwood and his soon-to-be-ex-wife, who in 2017 filed a motion questioning Elwood’s mental fitness and seeking control of the business assets they shared.
Believing that the Kings were going to file an affidavit on his wife’s behalf, Elwood “lashed out” at them, Brewer said. Elwood made false child abuse complaints to the Department of Social Services about the Kings, and the local sheriff’s department opened up investigation into Angela King after Elwood made a false report that she had provided alcohol to minors.
Elwood also placed defamatory signs along major thoroughfares and other prominent places around Charleston, accusing his wife’s attorney of being unfit, among other things. Brewer said that Elwood posted pictures of the signs on his social media pages, although he denied being the author of them. The businesses that Elwood owned were also named as defendants in the suit because Elwood placed the signs while acting in his scope as owner of the businesses and paid someone to place them using checks from his business.
Fargnoli
Clawson
“They feel vindicated,” Brewer said of the clients. “They feel that the system worked in allowing them a voice to clear their names, and that they had an appropriate avenue to stand up to this defendant who tried to bully them.”
Thomas Wills of Wills, Massalon, & Allen in Charleston mediated the settlement, which was agreed to on Aug. 19. Brewer said that the plaintiffs worked out the division of the settlement proceeds amongst themselves.
David Anderson of Richardson Plowden in Columbia and Robert Kneece of Turner Padget in Charleston represented Elwood. Anderson declined to comment on the settlement.
Staubes
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SETTLEMENT REPORT — DEFAMATION
Amount: $2 million
Injuries alleged: Damage to reputation
Name of case: King, et al. v. Elwood
Court: Charleston County Circuit Court
Case No.: 2018-CP-10-00478
Mediator: Thomas Wills of Wills, Massalon, & Allen in Charleston
Date of settlement: Aug. 19
Attorneys for plaintiffs: Barrett R. Brewer of Mt. Pleasant, Chris Staubes of Mt. Pleasant and Samuel R. Clawson Jr. and Christy R. Fargnoli of Clawson Fargnoli in Charleston
Attorneys for defendants: David Anderson of Richardson Plowden in Columbia and Robert Kneece of Turner Padget in Charleston
The post Attorney, couple to share $2M settlement from defamation suit 
first appeared on South Carolina Lawyers Weekly.