Post-Conviction Relief Applicant released on bail

A Lexington County man spent the holidays and new year home with his family after spending three years in prison for a crime for which he had no recollection.

Randall Houston Nordan was accused of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death and reckless homicide. His lawyer pled him guilty even though he was under the influence of physician prescribed medication at the time of his plea and had no recollection of the night in question. After the plea judge sentenced him to 20 years suspended upon the service of 10 years, he retained Dick Harpootlian to review his case and file a post-conviction relief (PCR) action asking  the plea be set aside.

In a July 2016 Order, the PCR judge granted Mr. Nordan’s petition to set aside his conviction and, in October 2016, Mr. Nordan was released from the South Carolina Department of Corrections on bail. Under the terms of his release, Mr. Nordan is serving house arrest under electronic monitoring, but may attend work, church, and appointments with physicians and lawyers.

In November 2016, Phillip Bantz of South Carolina Lawyers’ Weekly published a lengthy report on the case quoting one Columbia lawyer who has handled hundreds of PCR cases as recalling just one instance in which a successful PCR application was granted bail.

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