MANNING, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- When I drove up to the Clarendon County Courthouse on August 28, 2025, I noticed an unmarked van with a South Carolina state government license plate and locks on the sliding door.

A prison guard slid the door open, and a long leg covered in bright orange swung out, and an orange pair of rubber prison shoes hit the asphalt.

The chains around the man's legs sounded like Christmas bells jingling as the six-foot-something prisoner stood up and walked toward the back door of the courthouse.

When he stepped up on the sidewalk and looked my way, it was Michael Pearson. I've never met him before, but I recognized him from his South Carolina Department of Corrections mugshot.

The guard unchained Pearson, and a Clarendon County deputy walked him into the court

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