Federal Hate Crime Guilty Plea Highlights a Gap in South Carolina Law

A recent federal guilty plea in South Carolina underscores both the importance of federal hate crime laws and the gap that still exists in state law.

In July, Jarvis McKenzie was waiting outside his neighborhood for a ride to work. According to federal prosecutors, Jonathan Felkel drove up, fired a rifle at him, and shouted, “You better keep running, boy.” Investigators later reported that Felkel admitted he targeted McKenzie because he is Black.

Felkel has now agreed to plead guilty to a federal hate crime and will soon be sentenced. Because the case was prosecuted federally, he faces meaningful consequences, including time in federal prison.

That accountability matters.

It also highlights a serious issue in South Carolina. The state remains one of only two in the country without a hate crime law. If this case had been handled only at the state level, the maximum penalty could have been as little as 30 days in jail. That is the same maximum penalty associated with offenses like littering.

For Jarvis McKenzie and his family, this case is deeply personal. They still live in the same neighborhood.

This guilty plea represents justice in this case. But it also reminds us that South Carolina still has work to do.