A Tangled Web of Corruption: My Fight Against Oconee Probate Judge Singleton and his Circuit Court protector Judge McIntosh.

The Oconee County Probate Court and the 10th Circuit Court of South Carolina are not courts of law, they are a criminal enterprise designed to extract wealth and preserve the privileged class by taking advantage of the vulnerable. Through a series of inexplicably corrupt actions from the Oconee County Probate Court, and the subsequent cover-up and validation of Probate Judge Danny Singleton by 10th Circuit Judge Lawton McIntosh, I can now confidently assert that Judge McIntosh and the entire 10th Circuit Court system are astoundingly corrupt. This corruption has a destructive impact on many residents, as judges team up with lawyers to pad the accounts of the attorneys, turning civil cases into criminal cases, which proves to be incredibly lucrative for them. Additionally, the Oconee Probate Court facilitates corruption through not only lawyers, but also conservators and guardians ad litem, to extract the wealth of estates, leaving the vulnerable robbed of their family wealth.

My own wife became a target of this well-oiled machine of corruption. I took it upon myself to stand up for the rights of my wife and all Oconee residents by holding Judge Danny Singleton accountable for turning the Probate Court into a criminal court. In doing so, I was held in a criminal trial in the Probate Court. This case has set the stage to expose the deep corruption of the Probate Court and the Circuit Court. The perfectly documented legal and moral violations of Probate Judge Danny Singleton in my case expose a wicked system of corruption. The fact that Judge McIntosh of the Circuit Court was so willing to step in and blatantly validate this corruption on the record is appalling.

On January 31, 2025, I was scheduled for 12 hearings regarding the appeal of my criminal sentence from the Probate Court as well as the corrupt acts that led to the the continued incrimination of me in the Circuit Court. As a point of orientation, let us briefly look at each of the hearings that was scheduled for January 31st, then walk through what happened in open court, and finally discuss the Order issued by Judge McIntosh on February 3rd defending the corrupt acts of Danny Singleton.

1. The Appeal

I appealed both of the findings of criminal contempt issued by Judge Singleton of the Probate Court against me. In the initial brief of the appellant (the document I produced explaining the justification for the appeal) filed on August 20, 2024, I lay out a damning statement of fact followed by more than 40 accusations of misconduct and poor judgment by the Probate Court. For starters, I was held in a criminal trial without a lawyer. I was approved by a public defender, and then John Abdalla, the lead public defender for Oconee County, came to my criminal trial and said he reasoned that he could not represent me after the public defender's office granted me representation in writing. His reasoning was based on the determination that my hearing for direct criminal contempt of court was not a criminal hearing. The confusion came because Judge Singleton misused case numbers to cover up for his lack of jurisdiction in creating a criminal case number.

Additionally, I have been accused of a single violation of using an electronic device in the courthouse lobby on May 24, 2024. I was sentenced twice, on May 29th in the lobby of the Probate Court with no open court, and again on June 17th in a trial. In the sentencing of June 17th, the transcripts show Judge Singleton rationalizing the sentence by saying he wanted me to serve 60 days. He originally sentenced me to 10 days, and so he was now adding an additional 50 days. He said it in his characteristic bumbling and sloppy language, but the message is clear and a violation of double jeopardy standards.

Another issue was that I was held in criminal contempt for violation of an order that was issued as an Administrative Order from the Supreme Court of South Carolina limiting the use of electronic devices in courthouses. In that order, it states that notice of the contents of the order need to be posted on the courthouse door, such as a sign that might say, "Prohibited to use electronic devices adjacent to the clerk's window." This is imperative because a court order is not a law, primarily because ignorance of the law is no excuse, yet ignorance of an order is. A person in America can only be held in contempt of court for willfully violating the order. I was completely unaware of the order and took it to be unrestricted public space because no restrictions were posted or brought to my attention at any point in my recorded visit. I was held in contempt of an order I did not willfully violate.

We could talk about how Judge Singleton acted as the judge, investigator, prosecutor, witness, victim, and moving party. Did I mention that Singleton accused me of being a criminal behind my back to third parties in an email in 2023 for informing a man of his rights to act as his own attorney? I was helping the man out as it seemed clear that many attorneys around here are crooked or lazy or both. Look no further than the articles on OconeeNews.org about Keith Denny, Richard McDuff, Carol Johnson, and Gruber Seres for examples.

Result of the January 31st Order: The contempt ruling of Danny Singleton was upheld. That is right, Judge McIntosh held his nose as I explained in court the atrocious behavior of Judge Singleton and then turned around and signed an order validating Singletons sewage. This is the standard of the 10th Circuit Court. The lack of integrity is on full display and Judge McIntosh shows no shame as he completely disregards the law and standards of judicial conduct.

2. Injunction

While incarcerated, I filed a motion for an injunction to have the Upper Court, 10th Circuit, intervene in the actions of the Probate Court. This injunction demanded my immediate release from jail and that Singleton be restrained from weaponizing the Probate Court any further. I did not word it like that, but that is the gist of it. On July 17, 2024, I was granted release from jail by Judge McIntosh, but he did not grant or deny the requested restraint on Judge Singleton on July 17th. Now this was again on the docket for January 31, 2025. In the interim, from July 17th to January 31st, Singleton had launched multiple fraudulent investigations into me in attempts to put me back in jail. A judge acting as an investigator is against the rules of judicial conduct, yet Judges Singleton and McIntosh could not care less.

Result of the January 31st Order: Apparently, there is no reason, according to McIntosh, to restrain Danny from acting as a judge and a private investigator. McIntosh ruled to dismiss my motion to restrain Singleton.

3. Sanctions

I filed sanctions against Judge Singleton and his attorney, Jim Logan. The sanctions are based on the actions of Danny Singleton, Jim Logan, and Lawton McIntosh in the proceedings of the Circuit Court. For example, it is against the rules to talk privately with the judge or his law clerk without all parties present. Singleton and McIntosh, along with their agents, discussed a plan to hold me in contempt of court for violation of an unconstitutional gag order without me present. This is clearly proved, as the charges brought by Singleton were presented to me in an email from Chase Kinsey, Judge McIntosh's law clerk. My accusations of misconduct were never objected to.

Another example is that Jim Logan filed a subpoena for the records of my phone calls from jail on June 19th, in the afternoon. Logan knew the exact time of the call he wanted because he carried out a private investigation into me in order to weaponize the Circuit Court. Judge Singleton and his agent, Logan, are absolutely forbidden from investigating me by South Carolina Rules of Judicial Ethics. The subpoena was issued to Officer Chapman, the overseeing Oconee County Sheriff's Deputy of the Oconee County Detention Center. In a phone call to Officer Chapman, he stated he had not and would not release the recordings until ordered by the judge.

Logan, in a brazen move of admitting corruption, stated that the court's permission was moot, for he had already acquired the recordings. I returned a call to Chapman, who told me that Investigator Jimmy Dixon is in charge of inquiries regarding phone calls that could be used for criminal investigation. Jimmy Dixon is the deputy that, on March 14, 2024, pretended to be on duty when he came to my house to intimidate my wife into not bringing damning documents to court. He showed up in a uniform, in an unmarked car with Berry Owens, and Oconee County Deputy. I filed a Freedom of Information Act request and requested a full report. The FOIA request did not produce my phone calls where dispatch clearly tells me Jimmy Dixon is not on duty. The police report was absurdly vague and said that they were at my house on March 13th, a day I can clearly prove I was in Greenville working. I cannot fathom how much just this portion of this witch hunt cost the Oconee tax payer.

From the judge acting as a criminal investigator to discovery during an appeal and ex parte conversations, Judge Singleton and McIntosh worked together to create and cover up corruption seamlessly, as if this sport was well practiced.

Result of the January 31st Order: Not acting on this motion is a serious violation of the Judicial Code of Conduct. Judge McIntosh needs to be held accountable! By not holding Judge Singleton accountable, McIntosh makes it clear how deep the corruption runs in Oconee and 10th Circuit Courts. By allowing this behavior on the open court record McIntosh gives the middle finger to judicial ethics in a bold move to pronounce himself and his judge cohorts way above the law.

4. Summary Judgment

This motion was filed by Logan to say that my motion for sanctions is not valid. His arguments were based on improperly applied civil rules that basically state I did not make any claims and there are no facts to dispute. The problem is that I made a huge litany of claims as well and produced a preponderance of evidence to support the claims. Additionally, Logan claims that Singleton has "absolute immunity." It is important to note that Logan does not have any immunity, and the sanctions are also against him.

Judge Singleton has judicial immunity; this is true. However, judicial immunity only protects a judge from being sued for his personal money while he is acting in jurisdiction. When Judge Singleton applied a court order as if it was law and then turned the Probate Court into a criminal court, he lost jurisdiction. Yet, this is a debate for a different day. I have not yet sued Judge Singleton in a civil case against him. Importantly here, judicial immunity does not protect a judge from criminal prosecution, sanctions, or anything other than civil claims for damages while acting within jurisdiction. This motion for summary judgment is entirely inappropriate and reflects the desperation of Logan, as he is forced to rely on court procedure because all the facts of the case incriminate his client.

Result of the January 31st Order: This motion should have been denied on the record to clearly state that the court will not tolerate this level of frivolous filing and to correctly show that judicial immunity does not protect a judge from appeal or sanctions. McIntosh just banished any semblance of acountbalitiy by dismissing this hearing without it being heard.

5. Quash

I filed a Motion to Quash the subpoena issued to Officer Chapman regarding my phone calls from jail. Not only is the judge working with the Sheriff to investigate unrelated crimes, but this is also discovery during appeal, which is strictly forbidden. Our family spent more than $300 on phone calls from jail. I bet it took 100 hours of investigators' time to listen to and organize these calls. Much of the conversation was about planning to hold these corrupt tyrants accountable upon my release, which I am sure fascinated them and they charged the Oconee tax payer for this mission to cover up their crimes.

Result of the January 31st Order: It is clear that a high level of judicial and legal maliciousness was involved in this pursuit of discovery during appeal. This subpoena is a blatant attempt to weaponize the courts to intimidate me out of seeking justice. By not hearing or ruling on this motion, Judge McIntosh not only covered up the corruption of the Probate Court but outright condoned it. McIntosh essentially reassured the Probate Court that it can act in direct violation of the law and the Circuit Court will cover for them.

6. Rule to Show Cause

I filed a rule to show cause against Danny Singleton. This is a motion that demands that Judge Singleton show that he should not be held in contempt of court. Singleton did not post notice of the order restricting the use of electronic devices in courtrooms on his courthouse door as mandated by the order itself. This is a blatant and willful violation of the order of the Supreme Justice. Court precedent for violation of this order can be found in the Oconee County Probate Court where Jason Boyle was sentenced to 60 days. Judge Singleton willfully violated the order and should be held in direct criminal contempt and sentenced to 60 days to maintain adherence to court president.

Result of the January 31st Order: It is clear that Judge Singleton is the elected overseer of the Probate Court. He violated the same order I violated. I did not do it willfully; he did. I was sentenced to 60 days in jail; Danny should be sentenced to 60 days in jail. Dismissing this case from even being heard is a huge gift from one corrupt judge to another.

7. Dismiss

Logan filed a motion to dismiss my appeal based on an argument that I missed a deadline. The only mildly confusing part of the appeal timeline was that I filed a notice of appeal regarding the 10 day sentence of May 29 and then an amended notice of appeal to include the criminal sentence of June 17. When the amended notice of appeal was accepted by the court, it reset all the deadlines. It is unclear if Logan does not understand the law or if he was just throwing another Hail Mary pass.

Result of the January 31st Order: It was appropriate for McIntosh to dismiss this motion. It was an irrelevant argument. Nonetheless, it should have been heard.

8. Enlarge Time

When Logan filed a motion to dismiss my appeal, it froze the deadlines. This is appropriate. The funny part is that on July 17th, Logan and McIntosh agreed to hear and try the case as fast as possible. I was very new to law at this point and agreed with them. I later found out there are exact deadlines and documents that need to be filed in order to preserve the record and to ensure the arguments and responses to those arguments are well laid for examination. In fact, on January 31st, the day of this hearing, Singleton and Logan had not completed the certified record or responded to any of the merits of the case. Enlarging time would have been the correct response from Judge McIntosh.

Result of the January 31st Order: This motion was never heard and dismissed in the order of February 3rd by Judge McIntosh. It should have been granted, and this appeal should have been heard after the record was completed and the arguments on the merits of the case were heard.

9. Summary Judgment

Jim Logan filed a motion for summary judgment of my appeal. Summary judgment applies to civil litigation seeking damages, not an appeal. Again, it is unclear if Logan's legal acumen is that bad or if he is just flailing out of desperation. His submission says that my appeal does not state a claim when an appeal has nothing to do with stating a claim; it is all about proving errors in law. Additionally, Logan states that absolute immunity protects Judge Singleton from an appeal of his order. This is absurdly false, again, judicial immunity only protects a judge from claims of civil damages assuming the judge was acting within jurisdiction.

Finally, the entirety of the multi-page discussion in this motion is a cut and paste from a previous case he had from when my wife sued Judge Singleton for damages in a federal court. Logan called me "her" and said that I made claims that there was a conspiracy for profit. Of course, my wife is correct in her suit; there is a conspiracy for profit that includes the Oconee Probate Court, but that is not mentioned in my appeal of the Probate Court's finding that I was in contempt of court. This type of foolery is an attempt to confuse the court and a complete waste of everyone’s time. Logan deserves severe sanctions for this irrational behavior, but that is not how the Oconee Courts work. The Judges here are on a team against the vulnerable people of Oconee County.

Result of the January 31st Order: This motion was never heard and dismissed in the order of February 3rd by Judge McIntosh. It is clear that this motion should have been dismissed and that severe sanctions should have been placed on Logan for filining it in the first place.

10. Compel

I filed a motion to compel discovery on the investigations that Singleton, his employees, and Jim Logan were carrying out on me. From ex parte conversations with Judge McIntosh to collaborating with the Oconee County Sheriff to build a criminal case against me, these courts have been maliciously secretive. The Judicial Rules of Ethics mandate that all of the information regarding the criminalization of me become public. This motion to compel is seeking those answers. How were these illegal investigations carried out and who were all the players?

Result of the January 31st Order: This motion was never heard and dismissed in the order of February 3rd by Judge McIntosh. By denying this motion without hearing it, McIntosh helped bury the crimes of Singleton, himself and his secret network of allies. Hearing this case and having it on the record would have been too embarrassing for McIntosh to handle.

11. Include/Strike/Compel

Danny Singleton and the Probate Court were delinquent in producing the certified record on appeal. This is essentially all of the documents from the Probate Court that could have influenced the court's decision. Remember, the point of an appeal is to prove the court erred, so this is the record that has all the evidence to prove Judge Singleton is crooked. Things like the email he sent to my wife saying I am a criminal are essential and were not included. The opposite is also true. The record is not to include anything that was not used by the judge in making the initial decision. Judge Singleton added to the record the First Amendment protected news articles published on OconeeNews.org. The articles he submitted were from before I became associated with OconeeNews.org. My involvement began after my release from jail, long after the trial. These articles have no place in the record. This motion was designed to have the Upper Court hold the Probate Court accountable for completing the record as required by court rules.

Result of the January 31st Order: This motion was never heard and dismissed in the order of February 3rd by Judge McIntosh. Not only should the court have granted all aspects of this motion, but by denying it, McIntosh is sending a very strong message that he does not care about misbehavior in the Probate Court or the Circuit Court. His goal is to act with general disregard for court procedure and ethics to cover the tails of himself and his cohorts.

12. Enforce Stay

Judge McIntosh ended my detainment on July 17th pending the results of my appeal. At this time, he placed inappropriate probation-type restrictions on me that included a gag order, removal of my Second Amendment rights, restrictions on travel, and more. I appealed this order for good reason and with just cause. Once an appeal is filed, the order is no longer valid. Because of the appeal, the gag order was on "stay," meaning it cannot be enforced. Despite this, Judge McIntosh made an unprovoked motion from the bench to hold me in contempt for an article published in OconeeNews.org on September 8th, while the gag order was on stay. The official order holding me in contempt for exercising my First Amendment rights was filed on September 16th. I amended the existing appeal to include this order. This motion was filed by me to ensure that Judge McIntosh was compelled to follow the law and recognize the stay. I was essentially attempting to stop a crooked and irate judge from illegally sending me to jail.

Result of the January 31st Order: This motion was never heard and dismissed in the order of February 3rd by Judge McIntosh. I guess it is a moot point since McIntosh did not attempt to sentence me for the improper September 16 order finding me in contempt of court. It would have improved the integreity of the court if McIntosh had recognized his error in finding me in contempt of the gag order while the gag order was on stay. I do not think the integrity of the 10th Circuit is of the concern of Judge McIntosh.

Conclusion

The events of January 31st and the subsequent order issued by Judge McIntosh on February 3rd paint a grim picture of the state of justice in Oconee County. The blatant disregard for the law, the willful cover-up of corruption, and the malicious pursuit of personal vendettas by those in positions of power are deeply concerning. The fact that Judge McIntosh, a judge in the 10th Circuit Court, is willing to so blatantly disregard the law and protect the corrupt actions of Judge Singleton is a clear indication of the depth of the problem.

This is not just about me; it is about the countless others who have been victimized by this corrupt system. It is about the erosion of trust in our judicial system and the undermining of the very principles of justice and fairness that our society is built upon. The system is broken, and it requires immediate and decisive action to restore integrity and accountability.

But change will not happen on its own. It requires the collective voice and unwavering commitment of the citizens of Oconee County. We cannot stand idly by while our courts are manipulated for personal gain and the vulnerable are left without recourse. We must demand transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct from our judges and legal professionals.

I, for one, would like to see court watching become a past-time in America. These judges will behave once it is known they are being watched.