On James Rutherford (Roberts, loosely)
A few quick facts on James Todd Rutherford on whom the character of Roberts is loosely based:
- Attorney
- Born October 10, 1970 in Columbia
- Howard University, B.A., 1992
- University of South Carolina, J.D., 1996
- Married to Naida Harris, 2 children, J. Todd II “Ty” and Tripp Benjamin
- Legislative Assistant, Congressman Robin Tallon, 1992-93
- Owner, 3 Tech Integrated Systems, 1993
- Assistant Solicitor/Special Prosecutor of Narcotic and Drug Cases, Fifth Solicitor’s Office, 1996-98
- The Rutherford Law Firm, LLC, 1998-11
- Owner, 803 Trucking, LLC
- WasteSouth, LLC
- T.I.S. Consulting and Auto
- National Board member, NAACP Special Contributions Fund
- Board Member, Brookland Baptist Church Community Credit Union, 1999
- Member, South Carolina Bar Association
More information, including Rep. Rutherford’s voting record and committee memberships can be found on the official website for the South Carolina Legislature.
Sravya shares Rep. Rutherford’s social media for insight:
TWITTER ~ Rep. Rutherford’s Twitter feed, for insight.
SC House Minority Leader Blames Fox News for Charleston Shooting Article & Video
(June 18, 2015) South Carolina State House Minority Leader Rep. J. Todd Rutherford (D) argued that the shooting at a church in Charleston was due to the fact that the shooter “watches things like Fox News” among other factors on Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead.”
Rutherford, who was friends with one of those killed in the shooting [Sen. Pinckney, pictured left], said, “The problem is this, the rhetoric in South Carolina, the rhetoric nationwide, has led people to believe like this young man, that it’s okay to walk into a church and take nine lives. That it’s okay to take the life of a state senator, that it’s okay to sit in a church, and pray with people for an hour before you decide to take their lives. It’s not okay. It needs to change.”
He continued, “South Carolina is one of five states that does not have a hate crimes law. South Carolina is still the only state that I am aware of that still flies a Confederate flag in front of the State House dome. South Carolina represents, and is emblematic of the problem, which is words that come from these networks that broadcast what they call news, but it’s not. It’s really hate speech and coded language, and leads people to believe that they can walk into a church, because it’s no longer a house of God, it’s a killing ground. It’s a place they can feel free to desecrate and leave blood everywhere, and that’s what this young man did. And he did so based on some ill-gotten belief, on some wrong belief that it’s okay to do that. He hears that, because he watches the news, and he watches things like Fox News, where they talk about things that they call news, but they’re really not. They use that coded language, they use hate speech, they talk about the president as if he’s not the president. They talk about church-goers as if they’re really not church-goers. And that’s what this young man acted on. That’s why he could walk into a church and treat people like animals when they’re really human beings.”
Rep. Rutherford is a Democratic member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing the 74th District since 1999. He is the Minority Leader of the House. His website provides background on his career and issues.
Early life and education
Rutherford graduated from W.J. Keenan High School in 1988. Rutherford earned his bachelor’s degree from Howard University and his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Before attending law school, Rutherford worked as Legislative Assistant to Congressman Robin Tallon in 1992–1993. After passing the bar, he worked as an assistant solicitor and special prosecutor of narcotic and drug cases in the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s office.
South Carolina General Assembly
He was elected to the South Carolina General Assembly in 1998 to represent House District 74. In 2004 he was reelected to his fourth term in that position. From 1998–2002 he sat on the house Military, Medical and Municipal Affairs Commission and in 2002 he was moved to the House Judiciary Commission where he now sits on the Criminal Laws Sub-committee. He was named Young Democrat of the year in 1999. As of the 2015–2016 session he is the Minority Leader of the state House of Representatives.
In 2007 Rutherford introduced a bill to replace the Confederate battle flag which currently flies on State Capitol grounds with the South Carolina state flag, except for May 10 which is Confederate Memorial Day. However, the bill never received a hearing. In June 2015 he said he would reintroduce a bill to remove the flag from the Capitol grounds. However, the version of the bill that was ultimately passed originated in the Senate.
Rep. Rutherford’s message for the South Carolina House Democratic Caucus:
Modernizing South Carolina for the 21st century
The House Democratic Caucus has the constitutional responsibility to be a voice and advocate for all South Carolinians. We believe now is the time to focus on South Carolina’s real priorities and challenges, and now is the time to find common-sense solutions to tackle our issues and challenges.
I pledge that the House Democratic Caucus is committed to bringing new ideas, innovation, and new leadership to South Carolina. If we are ever going to make significant progress in this state, lawmakers in Columbia must begin to shift focus and provide solutions for the real challenges facing everyday South Carolinians. We ask that you use our website as a resource so that you can become a more informed voter and citizen. In addition, we ask that you join us in this process to make South Carolina the best that it can be.
JT Rutherford Congressional voting: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/member.php?code=1614772534