Bilingual community event to inform public of their rights if charged with a crime

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) -The Charleston County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council is hosting its last community justice forum of the year.

County officials say they’ll be informing the community of their rights if charged with a crime.

Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Director Ellen Steinberg has worked as a prosecutor, defense attorney and magistrate judge.

Steinberg says she can’t stress enough the importance of people understanding their constitutional rights, and with the Spanish-speaking population continuing to grow in Charleston, the CJCC is making it a point to provide inclusive resources for all community members.

With the help of an interpreter, attorneys will be presenting their program to attendees which is something they’ve never done before.

“We want safety and justice in our community and in order to do that people need to know, if they are being stopped by a police officer, what their rights are and how to handle it, Steinberg says.”

This community event is free and open to the public, but you will need to register beforehand. It starts at 6 p.m. and you can join from the comfort of your own home because it is through zoom.

Steinberg says there will be time for questions after the presentation but if people have further questions, they can reach out by emailing cjcc@charlestoncounty.org.

For the registration link click here.

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