Ex Parte: John Hughes Cooper

THIS OPINION HAS NO PRECEDENTIAL VALUE. IT SHOULD NOT BE
CITED OR RELIED ON AS PRECEDENT IN ANY PROCEEDING
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY RULE 268(d)(2), SCACR.
THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
In The Supreme Court
Ex Parte:
John Hughes Cooper, Appellant,
In Re:
Betty Fisher and Lisa Fisher, Plaintiffs,
v.
Bessie Huckabee, Kay Passailaigue Slade, and Sandra
Byrd, Respondents.
Appellate Case No. 2018-000662
Appeal From Charleston County
Thomas L. Hughston, Jr., Circuit Court Judge
Memorandum Opinion No. 2018-MO-040
Heard November 28, 2018 – Filed December 12, 2018
REVERSED
Barbara Marie Seymour, of Clawson & Staubes, LLC, of
Columbia, for Appellant.
Warren W. Wills III, of the Law Office of W. Westbrook
II, of Folly Beach, and Jessica Lynn Crowley, of
Crowley Law Firm, LLC, of Charleston, for
Respondents.
PER CURIAM: John Hughes Cooper was held jointly and severally liable for a
sanctions award in the amount of $170,623.68 in attorneys' fees under the South
Carolina Frivolous Civil Proceedings Sanctions Act (FCPSA)1 and Rule 11,
SCACR, in connection with his representation of Lisa and Betty Fisher in cases
involving the estate of Alice Shaw-Baker. We have painstakingly reviewed the
record and find there is no evidence to support an award of sanctions or a finding
of misconduct against Cooper. We therefore reverse all judgments against Cooper
pursuant to Rule 220(b)(1), SCACR. This case is concluded.
REVERSED.
BEATTY, C.J., KITTREDGE, HEARN, FEW and JAMES, JJ., concur.
1
See S.C. Code Ann. §§ 15-36-10 to -100 (Supp. 2018).