Episode 3: Judge Daniel Coble

In this episode of the Direct Examination podcast, hosts Amber Fulmer, Dayne Phillips, and Joseph Bias welcome Judge Daniel Coble, Associate Chief Magistrate Judge for Richland County. Joining the team in studio are producer Brendy and 2L law student intern Dennison Larue.

Judge Coble discusses his judicial career, his role in co-founding South Carolina’s first Homeless Court, and the story behind the City of Columbia declaring July 18, 2017, as “Daniel Coble Day”. A prolific legal author, Coble details his series of practical guidebooks for attorneys and judges—including Everyday Evidence, Pocket Prelims, and Deconstructing the DUI. He also shares insights on setting bonds in state correctional facilities and recounts a memorable courtroom war story.

Key Topics Covered

  • Team Updates & Introductions: Welcoming 2L intern Dennison Larue and producer Brendy for Season 2.

  • Judicial Career & Homeless Court: Establishing South Carolina’s first Homeless Court in 2013 alongside public defenders, SC Appleseed, and municipal judges to give individuals a second chance.

  • “Daniel Coble Day”: The story behind July 18, 2017, being declared Daniel Coble Day by the City of Columbia in recognition of his work with Homeless Court.

  • Legal Guidebooks & Self-Publishing: Authoring practical legal reference books including Everyday Evidence, Pocket Prelims, Deconstructing the DUI, and magistrate court rulebooks available via everydayevidence.org and Amazon.

  • Bond Hearings in Correctional Facilities: The realities of setting bonds across low-, medium-, and high-security state prison facilities.

  • War Story: Navigating prison security during bond hearings and an unexpected encounter outside a prison restroom.

Transcript

Amber Fulmer: Welcome, y’all, to the Direct Examination podcast. My name is Amber Fulmer.

Dayne Phillips: I’m Dayne Phillips.

Joseph Bias: And I’m Joseph Bias. Ladies and gentlemen, we have three co-hosts here, we have an intern here. What’s up, Dennison?

Dennison Larue: Hey guys.

Dayne Phillips: Volunteer intern, who would have thought!

Amber Fulmer: On his spring break!

Joseph Bias: On his spring break coming in! We have a producer here—hi, Brendy!

Brendy: Hello!

Joseph Bias: We have our guest today, and ladies and gentlemen, none of us had to bribe our way into college! So shout out to us! We made it straight out of West Columbia, straight out of Batesburg-Leesville, Columbia, South Carolina representing! Dayne, tell us about our guest.

Dayne Phillips: Our guest today is the esteemed Associate Chief Magistrate Judge for Richland County, Daniel Coble. He serves full-time in Central Court over on Decker Boulevard at the Taj Mahal of Richland County. He handles criminal and civil trials, mediations, preliminary hearings, traffic court, domestic violence court, and landlord-tenant court. He previously worked as a prosecutor for the Fifth Judicial Circuit and worked with Nelson Mullins, the Public Defender’s Office, and Chief Municipal Judge Dana Turner in establishing South Carolina’s first Homeless Court. He is also a published author of the Everyday Evidence book series. Welcome, Judge Daniel Coble!

Judge Daniel Coble: Thank you all for having me here. I’ve been a fan of the podcast since it came out.

Joseph Bias: Tell us about the Homeless Court.

Judge Daniel Coble: Back in 2013, Nelson Mullins, Judge Turner, the Public Defender’s Office, and Sue Berkowitz with SC Appleseed established South Carolina’s first Homeless Court. It first began in the late ’80s in San Diego with public defender Steve Binder. Former Solicitor Dan Johnson put me in charge of it for our office.

Unlike other diversionary courts where you enter before completing requirements, Homeless Court helps people who have already transitioned out of homelessness or are actively working their way out. They bring certificates of completing drug classes or job training to resolve old bench warrants, fees, and fines so they can move forward with their lives.

Joseph Bias: What is the significance of July 18, 2017?

Judge Daniel Coble: That was a surprise organized by George Cauthen of Nelson Mullins and Judge Turner right after I was sworn in as a magistrate judge. The City of Columbia declared July 18, 2017, as Daniel Coble Day in recognition of the Homeless Court work.

Dayne Phillips: Tell us about everydayevidence.org and your books.

Judge Daniel Coble: I started taking notes during preliminary hearings and organized them into a reference guide. The SC Bar worked with me on Pocket Prelims. I also wrote Everyday Evidence to simplify the rules of evidence with practical case law citations. I later expanded the series to include federal evidence rules, Fourth Amendment law, South Carolina court rules, traffic court offenses, and DUI defense guides. They are available on Amazon and everydayevidence.org.

Joseph Bias: What was it like transitioning to making judicial decisions on the bench?

Judge Daniel Coble: Making quick, fair decisions right then and there—even on something as simple as a traffic ticket—is harder than it looks. Whoever loses is going to be upset, so as a judge, all you can do is make your best, most informed judgment call.

Joseph Bias: Time for War Stories!

Judge Daniel Coble: Magistrates set 99% of bonds in Richland County, which includes holding bond hearings for inmates at Department of Corrections facilities like Kirkland or Broad River Road.

During one session in a low-security facility, inmate bond hearings were conducted in a small room with one officer. I stepped out to use the restroom, and about a dozen inmates—including a murder suspect whose bond I had just set—were sitting right outside the door in the hallway. While sitting in the restroom, all I could think was: “If something happens to me today, at least they’ll name a courtroom after me… or worse, they’ll just name this bathroom after me!” Fortunately, everyone was polite, and we finished the hearings without incident.

Joseph Bias: Judge Coble, thank you for joining us! You can find his books at everydayevidence.org or on Amazon. Follow Judge Coble on Twitter @EverydayEvidence. Follow us @SCLawPod on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, Joseph @JosephPBias, Dayne @SCCrimLawyer, and Amber @actredjudicata. Thanks for listening, y’all!