State v. Charles Brandon Rampey

Summary

The South Carolina Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Appeals' reversal of Rampey's conviction, holding that the trial judge's Allen charge was unconstitutionally coercive because it overemphasized the resources expended and failed to caution jurors against surrendering firmly held beliefs. The Court applied heightened scrutiny to the charge and concluded that the error was not cured by post‑verdict polling, necessitating a new trial.