Supreme Court of South Carolina
State v. Prather
March 11, 2020
Summary
The South Carolina Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and reinstated Robert Jared Prather’s murder and strong‑arm robbery convictions. The Court held that the trial judge did not err in admitting SLED Agent LaRosa’s crime‑scene analysis as reply expert testimony, finding LaRosa qualified and his testimony reliable under Rule 702. The Court also rejected Prather’s unpreserved arguments concerning prosecutorial misconduct, the Confrontation Clause, directed verdict, and other issues.