A "not guilty" celebration to remember
- Mar 16
- 2 min read
A jubilant defense team embraces their client following a “not guilty” verdict.
The 13th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office in Greenvile, SC, maintains a high conviction rate, making “not guilty” verdicts rare. All the local authorities espouse this reality. No exact figures are needed to convince the public of that fact.
But public defense attorney Chad Snyder and his team wrested victory away from the Solicitor on Friday when a jury rendered a “not guilty" verdict in the murder case against Charles Reams III.
This is the first time Snyder has tried and won a murder case in his 15-year career. He is also 4-for-4 in winning trials in Greenville, according to attorney Nekedia Heath.
Not willing to volunteer this fact, yet Snyder did concede his stellar record. “I just wanted to be humble,” he said while shrugging his shoulders.
Snyder credits the recent court victory to the lack of convincing evidence collected by the prosecutor. Gaping holes in the prosecutors’ case left ample room for reasonable doubt to grow and fester in the minds of jurors, he said.
Snyder said all the solicitor proved is that the victim is no longer with us. But there is no evidence that my client killed anyone.
So, the team has to savor the rare victory. The public defender's office was in a merry mood as a cookie-dough ice cream cake was served to the accused, his family, and the staff.
Snyder then took the accused and his family to dinner at a nearby downtown restaurant.
Snyder has a BA, a law degree from John Marshall Law School of Atlanta, and a Master’s in public administration from the University of South Carolina.
Clearly, he has career options, but he prefers serving as a public defender.
Not shy about discussing his ADHD, Snyder told the jury that his condition prevents him from remembering many details, so he focuses on the principal facts of the case: lack of evidence leads to reasonable doubt.
Snyder stressed that the prosecutor and the detective were not eyewitnesses to the murder. Their speculations are not evidence. No one knows who did what, he said with his hands in the air, his shoulders raised.
