RALEIGH -- A grand jury in Columbus County on Thursday found probable cause to indict state Sen. R.C. Soles Jr. on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with an August shooting at Soles' Tabor City home.
Soles, 74, a Democrat, is the longest-serving member of the state legislature and has been a key member of the Democratic majority in the Senate and a political power in the mostly rural southeastern corner of the state that he represents.
Soles shot Thomas Kyle Blackburn, 22, in the leg during an incident at Soles' home Aug. 23. His attorney said the shooting was self-defense and noted that Soles has not yet been charged with a crime.
"He maintained then, he maintains now, that he acted in self-defense of himself and his property, and we clearly believe that that's the case," said his attorney, Joseph B. Cheshire V of Raleigh.
Grand jurors disagreed. In a presentment, a legal step before an indictment, jurors said they found probable cause to believe Soles assaulted Blackburn and could be charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. The charge would be a felony punishable by as much as two years in prison. The jurors asked prosecutors to submit bills of indictment in the case.
Rex Gore, the district attorney for Columbus County, has longstanding ties to Soles and had turned the case over to Attorney General Roy Cooper's office. A spokeswoman for Cooper said Thursday that his office expects to return to the grand jury in January to formally seek an indictment against Soles.
Democrats worry
Beyond the criminal charges, Soles' situation presents an increasingly difficult political challenge for the Democrats who have long held sway in the state Senate.
Soles had suggested previously he might not seek re-election, opening the door for Republicans in a swing district. Two other Democratic incumbents in swing districts - David Hoyle of Gaston County and Julia Boseman of New Hanover County - have recently said they will not seek re-election. And longtime Senate power Tony Rand is stepping down, and is facing accusations of insider trading involving a company that he is connected with.
Rand, a Fayetteville Democrat, said he was saddened by the news about Soles.
"It's a wrenching thing for anyone to go through," Rand said. "It's a sad thing and I wish him well."
Senate Republican leader Phil Berger said an indictment wouldn't necessarily mean that Soles has to quit his seat.
"That incident in itself is something that could happen to any member of the public. It's not something that's inextricably tied to his public service," said Berger, an Eden Republican. "It's one that, it seems to me, needs to play out before folks start calling on him to resign."
Fleeing on a scooter
Blackburn's wounding, which was patched up at a hospital across the South Carolina line that evening, was the most recent in a string of encounters between Soles and young men who were former law clients.
Blackburn was released from prison this year after a probation violation stemming from a 2004 felony breaking and entering conviction. He was arrested last year after witnesses said he and another man tried to break down Soles' door. The two tried to flee on a scooter but were arrested by police after a short chase.
The SBI quickly took over the investigation of Blackburn's shooting. The incident was captured on at least one of the surveillance cameras mounted outside Soles' house, according to Cheshire.
40 police calls
Records show police were called to Soles' house and law office at least 40 times in the past four years. Some calls were routine, such as burglar alarms going off. But dozens involved circumstances such as neighbors hearing gunshots and screams, attempted burglaries, loud arguments, reported assaults and complaints of young people on mopeds circling Soles' house. During a two-week period in September of last year, police were called to Soles' house seven times.
Soles denies rumors
The young men who hang around Soles' law office and home have long fueled whispers in Tabor City, but Soles adamantly denies having sexual relations with any of them. Soles and Cheshire have said Soles has generously given to his clients after they are released from the criminal justice system, hoping to help them transition to a successful life.
An indictment of Soles, the Democratic caucus chairman in the Senate, could mean the loss of another member of the Democrats' majority and part of their leadership team, if he chooses not to run for re-election.
"I don't know what the fallout is going to be," said David Redwine, a Brunswick County Democrat and former member of the House who says he has been urged to run for Soles' seat. "A lot of people have great respect for Sen. Soles and wish him and his family the best."
