Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:06] It's Lacey and I am doing a solo episode today. So welcome to the Llamas podcast.
[00:00:12] Lauren unfortunately they lost one of their fur babies yesterday and her little girl, I think she was just really struggling with going to school today. So unfortunately she had to leave early to go get her kid from school and just kind of go home and check on her.
[00:00:30] We thought she might be sick. Now I think she's just kind of grieving and taking the loss and so just sending our thoughts and prayers to Lauren. They've just had it really rough. They lost their beloved family pet, one I think last year their grandma which is Lauren's mother in law and now another little fur baby. So her kids have just had it really hard lately. So just thinking about them and send out some prayers and good vibes as they kind of navigate that.
[00:00:59] Transitioning to our episode today, recently there was a trooper here in the Midlands that was arrested for assault, battery, first degree and it was of sexual nature. And so want to share my stories on this officer and also just go through how attorneys navigate dealing with, I guess, inappropriateness from counsel, opposing counsel. And in some of the situations in criminal court, opposing counsel is an officer. So if you're unaware of how criminal court works in South Carolina, we do have prosecutors, which are attorneys.
[00:01:42] However, our Supreme Court has given officers the authority to be able to prosecute their own cases in certain situations. So for example, if someone's charged with a high misdemeanor felony, that case is going to be in general Sessions court.
[00:02:00] And in general sessions court, there's always going to be an attorney on the other side. So I'm always dealing, if I'm in general sessions court with a prosecutor, someone who has a law degree and has gone to law school and passed the bar.
[00:02:12] So the equivalent of me, that is, who's the other side representing the state.
[00:02:17] However, in magistrate court, it's often the time that the opposing counsel is the arresting officer, which can be a true trooper or a sheriff's deputy. Just depends on where the arrest was made.
[00:02:31] Most city courts have a city prosecutor, so they step in and handle typically the DUIs and the domestic violence charges that are in magistrate court. So that's going to be a DUI first offense and a domestic violence third degree.
[00:02:44] However, every court system is different. But for us, every time we have a speeding ticket and we're trying to get that resolved for our clients favorably, we are talking to the officer to try to resolve that matter, the officer that pulled them over or made the arrest, malicious injury to Personal property. That's almost always with an officer.
[00:03:04] DUIs right now in Richland are actually going to all the officers too. There was a prosecutor. They've kind of moved things around. So right now there's no Prosecutor for our DUIs in Richland County Central Court.
[00:03:20] They are present for other courts, but that specific court we don't see. So sometimes navigating things are kind of hard when dealing with an officer, because with an officer, most likely you're going to have to see them again multiple times. And in the case of Trooper Wayne Labounte, he was a supervising trooper. And so I.
[00:03:44] He was in Lexington regularly. I was having to deal with him regularly. So what's hard sometimes in my job is dealing with things when I'm going to have to see someone else again. And this person could be responsible for a better outcome for my client.
[00:04:01] And balancing that with when I should speak up and how I should, you know, speak up when things are done in not a good way, I guess I should say.
[00:04:11] So Trooper Le Bounty is a perfect example of when it was really hard to try to navigate what to do in a situation.
[00:04:20] Um, so I'd had interactions with him before. He, he was nice, whatever, in passing, just your standard, like, what's the offer? What are you thinking? What are we doing? And he would be present in pre trial conferences for my DUI cases in Lexington. That's kind of when I first encountered him in this professional circle.
[00:04:40] The first incident that really upset me was at a pretrial conference. So I was in the room with another solicitor. His name's Dylan. Dylan's very nice.
[00:04:52] And Trooper Labani was in there. And we were just, you know, going over my DUI cases and offers and going over things. And something came up about Luke and having down syndrome. And he's like, you have a kid with down syndrome? I said, yes, I do, Luke. And he goes, oh, when. And Trooper Le Bounty is a little older. And he said, well, yeah, me and my wife, when we got pregnant, we had it, you know, the baby tested to see I would have aborted a baby with down syndrome.
[00:05:22] So I am being in this community for a really long time. I try to lead with education first because I was scared at first too, when I got Luke's diagnosis. So I try to give people grace in their comments the first time because especially with him being at least a generation older than me, I understand the information about down syndrome was significantly different than the information we get now. I'm also aware of how the medical community is. I mean, yes, this is a horrific statement, but you have to understand that this statement was also and has been made by medical doctors to parents pregnant.
[00:06:07] So me understanding that actual doctors have encouraged women to terminate a pregnancy with down syndrome, I knew I had to lead with. With grace and education, right? So I said.
[00:06:22] I said, I. I said, I. It was hard for me, I think, at first when I heard it. But, I mean, honestly, he's truly my biggest blessing. I don't know what I'd do without him. And I talked about all the great things he was doing and accomplishing in life, and, you know, he kind of smiled and said, oh, that was. That was great. We just, you know, you didn't know what was going to happen with a baby with down syndrome. I said, I understand. But also, you know, a lot of things are. Are different. There's a lot of things out there that just aren't true about down syndrome.
[00:06:52] And there's a lot more services and support these days. And, you know, I. I thought it might be a good conversation.
[00:07:01] But regardless, that is how I chose to leave that conversation. So I went on and I didn't really think too much of it because again, educate first, give grace first, and just stand firm in how big of a blessing Luke is in my life, because that is just the God's honest truth.
[00:07:20] So moving on.
[00:07:22] Couple years went by and, oh, I'd say maybe a year because this next thing happened last year, so I'm in court in Richland, and I guess he was sitting in for somebody else because he was a Lexington trooper.
[00:07:38] And so I was there and I saw him and he asked how my kids were, and I was like, oh, they're doing great. Wonderful. Thank you for asking. Goes, yeah, yeah.
[00:07:47] You know, if I had a baby with down syndrome, me and my wife would have terminated that. We wouldn't have done it.
[00:07:53] And so now I'm pissed off.
[00:07:56] At that point. I was angry because why is that the topic of conversation?
[00:08:01] We've already had this conversation.
[00:08:03] He knows that my son has. He's already made this comment at that point. It was completely wrong and inappropriate. And now I know that the first time was inappropriate because in context of looking at all of it, now I know where this person stands. And to me, in my personal opinion, I think he's trash and he's not a good human because there's just no point in bringing that up. You clearly know my mom of a special needs kid. You clearly know I'm a mom of someone with down syndrome, and now you're just Choosing to be a jerk the first time, it's just you opening up. Maybe it sounded like maybe wanting some information, whatever, but that really upset me. And I was kind of. I didn't know what to do because he's trying to not navigate my ticket that I have with the officer, because the typical super, my officer was not present for whatever reason they weren't telling me. He's trying to cut a deal with me on this ticket. And the Richland supervisor, which is Trooper Christofaro, has always been great and professional in. In my opinion, in my circumstances that I've had with him, he wasn't there. And so I honestly want to just like, you know, yell in the middle of courtroom, but I know that that's not professional and it's not appropriate. So I was like, you know what? I'm going to. And this is what I do in a lot of situations. And it's probably because of therapy. I try not to react in the moment, have myself process it and like, what is the best way to handle this? What is the most important way to handle this? And I didn't know in that moment what it would be. So I just need to take a step back, get my job done as a lawyer and then I'm going to handle this as a mother. Right. Once I get done with court. And I also wanted to seek some other attorneys advice on the best way to handle this.
[00:09:53] So at that point I just.
[00:09:57] I don't know what I said. I think I was like, you've mentioned that or something. And I just try to change the subject.
[00:10:04] So then he tells me he's going through a divorce. And I said, I'm so sorry to hear that. And he said, yeah, my wife left me.
[00:10:10] And I said, I, you know, that's. That's terrible. I'm so sorry. And he says that it was because he.
[00:10:18] She didn't like it when he called his son stupid or something like that and lazy and like, so basic. So he tells me that he been calling his child these derogatory terms and that's why his wife left him. And in my head I'm thinking, good for her, because if I was married to someone who talked, you know, and what he was saying, it was just so disheartened, like what he was telling his son. I can't imagine telling my child that.
[00:10:46] So, yeah, so he had been calling his kid names and I don't know how old the kid was or any of that. It could have been an adult kid. But regardless, if your kid's not doing what they're supposed to. Sure, there should be conversations, but I don't think under any circumstances there should be name calling. And that's what it sounded like to me. So his wife have left him. So like I said, as he's telling me the story, I'm like, good for her. But he proceeds to just keep running his flap.
[00:11:11] And so at that point he tells me that he had a date. And I was like, oh, well, that's good. And he said, it didn't go well. And I'm like, oh, I'm so sorry. He tells me that he picked her up and she was a smoker. And he doesn't like smok. And he also says, and she was ugly. She was so ugly. And so he said that he got her in the car and he started to drive. And at the. At, not far. Sorry for the sirens. The back, not far after picking her up, he says, I'm sorry, I can't do this.
[00:11:45] And he said something along the lines of like, you're not attractive.
[00:11:50] And so he's like, I can't be seen with you. So he turns around, takes this woman home, and he's telling me that. He's like, I couldn't go out to dinner. I couldn't be seen at dinner with her. She was so ugly and a smoker.
[00:12:05] And at that point I was like, well, I said, that's horrible to tell a woman. I said, maybe the smoker. But you could have still just gone to dinner, had a delightful conversation and said, you know, you know, I think we're fine as friends, but, you know, so. Oh, I'm not gonna lie or something. I'm like, but that's not lying. You just said you don't like smokers and this. But she was ugly.
[00:12:29] And I am just mortified.
[00:12:32] And I'm like. So I proceed to just kind of stand my ground. Like, you know, I just don't think that was appropriate. That's very unkind. You could have handled that in a much kinder way. I'm not, you know, for me, like, smoking is just no, you know, a deal breaker for me or whatever. And so anyways, he just kept being horrible about whoever this woman was and the things that he said and treat her in this day.
[00:12:59] So I get back to my office and I call one of my friends who is a former public defender and now a prosecutor, because I really trust her advice so much in situations like this because she's been on both sides, so she understands the defense attorney side, that it's Hard to just go full on attack towards a prosecutor or an officer that's opposing counsel at that point because you have to deal with them again. And if you make them out and upset them, they may take it out on your clients, you know, and. But at the same time, this is about my kid, who's the most important thing in my life and being a mom is the most important role. So to make that my priority. But keep into consideration also my job, how to navigate this. And she told me not to report him yet, but to put it all in writing.
[00:13:54] So I did and I sent an email and said, you know, basically that I found what he said, you know, disgusting pretty much and inappropriate.
[00:14:05] And I just did not think that he should ever. And I told him he is to never mention my children again. He is not allowed to ask me about my children. He is not allowed to comment about my children. And I also explained to him that I don't understand why he thinks it's appropriate to repeatedly tell a mom with special needs this story. And I also advise him on how he should handle those situations in the future. Congratulations. You, I'm sure your life is wonderful or, you know, you may be going through some hard times, but, you know, I'm thinking about you.
[00:14:40] I offered him like some type of. I just remember offering like how you should handle these situations in, in the future. But those situations would not be handled with me because from now on, that is a topic that is absolutely off limits.
[00:14:53] I never got an email back.
[00:14:56] And so I swear to y', all, it was not even six months later. This trooper was hit by a car.
[00:15:04] He was apparently a trooper about. He was like working some kind of, I think he was working a ticket and he got sideswiped. So he ended up in the hospital for months. And so I saw, you know, people sharing like prayers for him and I didn't want anything bad to happen. I didn't even ask for this. I've told my friends, you know, I didn't even ask for karma to step in, but she showed up for my son.
[00:15:30] But anyways, this, it is a lesson. What you put into the world, I believe, is what you get.
[00:15:36] And so I don't wish ill on everyone.
[00:15:40] I don't wish ill on anyone. I, you know, but I, I do believe what people put into life is what they get. And I that from my observations, it seems to be true.
[00:15:49] And so anyway, so I heard that and I was like, oh, gosh, well, I do hope he's well. And I didn't post anything about him at all because I didn't wish this. I did hope he was okay. He does, you know, have a son or whatever. So, you know, very tragic accident.
[00:16:05] And I did. Somebody had come in and I reached out and shared my story and they're like, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. We've always thought he was so nice and, you know, but I'm sorry that that was your experience, but I didn't open up too much about it.
[00:16:18] So about a month ago, it was released that he was on the same. Trooper is under investigation for assault for assaulting his caregiver. And just this week, Trooper LaBounty was arrested for assault and battery. A caretaker was involved to help take care of him from his injuries because of the accident. And so he has been arrested. So the allegation is that Trooper Wayne LaBounty made sexual explicit comments toward her while she massaged his legs.
[00:16:49] She is accusing him of telling her to come to the bedroom because he needed help where he exposed himself and then made advances towards her.
[00:16:59] The caregiver is accusing Trooper LaBounty of pinning her arms by her side against the door, kissing her neck.
[00:17:08] And the warrant released by sled states that it was non consensual and with lewd in lascivious intent.
[00:17:16] The caregiver alleged and told investigators that she did tell him to stop and she did tell him she was afraid that it made her uncomfortable.
[00:17:25] However, he made multiple derogatory and racially insensitive remarks during the incident. He also allegedly told her that what goes on in this house stays in this house.
[00:17:39] Well, true Brilla Bounty.
[00:17:43] What happened in the courtroom is not going to stay in the courtroom. Welcome to my podcast.
[00:17:51] I whenever I hear of an allegation, yes, it is an allegation, it is proof beyond a reasonable doubt. But if his character has shown me anything, I truthfully believe this happened. I mean, I don't know, I haven't seen the evidence, I haven't heard from the caretaker, but when I saw that he was arrested for this, I truly wasn't shocked. And what really sent me over is the fact that he made derogatory and racially insensitive remarks because I experienced that from him.
[00:18:21] So I don't know how this case will play out. I've seen, I've read so many comments because I'm so curious how the public is responding to this because of my own personal interactions with him. And I have seen some people say, you know, like, oh, what is she in for? Money and stuff like that.
[00:18:45] And I've seen other comments say, oh, our usual suspect, you know, and you know, showing the other side of that. And so I don't know where this case is going to land. I don't know what is going to happen. And everybody has their own experiences with people. But if I'm being honest, my experience with Trooper Wayne LaBounty has been more akin to the alleged victim in this assault than my fellow criminal defense attorneys and prosecutors in dealing with him.
[00:19:17] So that is my story.
[00:19:21] We will if you're interested I can keep you updated on what happens with the prosecution of him.
[00:19:27] Really not sure. I highly doubt he will ever be on the force again.
[00:19:32] But I also really kind of am worried about what has happened in the past because my experience and there are similarities and things he has said in the allegations.
[00:19:47] It makes me wonder if anything has happened before.
[00:19:49] I can't lie. But anyways, that is my experience.
[00:19:53] You can see in the news and read the articles and the allegations. It's it's been in WNBF at Myrtle Beach.
[00:20:00] It's been here and you know, everything will be online once the charge is showing. I am curious. I've kept looking to see who's going to represent him, which criminal defense attorney. It will not be me.
[00:20:14] But yeah. So that is my story on Trooper Wayne laboune and how I dealt with a difficult situation, balancing mom life and attorney life and trying to maintain that professionalism while also standing up for my son and being protective of him and advocating for him against an.
[00:20:36] So anyways, if you have any questions, if you have any comments, please drop them. Please message me and definitely curious to hear Yalls thoughts. You know, would you especially an attorney I'm curious to know if an attorney's listening to this. Would you have just custom out in the courtroom and dealt with it?
[00:20:53] You know, would you have done what I've done? You know, let me know your thoughts. But thank you for joining us this week. Hopefully me and Lauren will be back together next week and thanks for tuning in. Bye.
