Scott, 50, eventually ran, and Slager gave chase. After the incident, Slager was fired, charged with murder, and released on $500,000 bond. File/Mic Smith/AP. A federal court has denied an appeal that would have overturned the 20-year prison sentence of Michael Slager, a former North Charleston police … That the appeals court heard oral arguments is "relatively rare," Franklin-Best said. But Columbia attorney Elizabeth Franklin-Best asked the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the sentence, laying several legal grounds in written arguments. But as bystander Feidin Santana’s cellphone camera leveled on the action, the video showed, the stun gun fell to the ground, and Scott ran away. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. File/Mic Smith/AP, Michael Slager sits for his murder trial at the Charleston County courthouse. fsmith@postandcourier.com, Michael Slager's sentencing to mark end of still-contested courtroom battle in Walter Scott killing, How Walter Scott's death continues to reverberate 5 years later for two SC families. Flooding poses a dire threat to our region. An appeal was expected. File/Grace Beahm/Staff, Dmitri BIE, a Black Lives Matter protester, stands outside U.S. District Court in Charleston at the start of Michael Slager's sentencing Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. Civil settlement. Chance of rain 50%. Chance of rain 50%. Columbia-based attorney Elizabeth Franklin-Best, an appellate attorney for Slager, 37, said her team was very disappointed in the court’s determination. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to drop state murder charges that still lingered after a first state proceeding ended in a mistrial when a jury couldn’t agree whether he had committed a crime. Savage said he was aware the filing was coming, but had not read the motion and was not aware of any mistakes Slager alleges he made as his counsel. The appeals court on Tuesday agreed with the federal judge’s determination that Slager acted with malice. Former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager, seen in 2016, faced charges in state and federal courts in connection with Walter Scott's 2015 shooting death. High 82F. In the court documents, Slager also argues that he was advised to sign a plea agreement that "conceded critical facts" that were harmful to his interests. You have permission to edit this article. Slager pursued him to a nearby lot behind a pawn shop and the two got into a struggle. Low 72F. Chance of rain 90%.. Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Of the 5,000 cases it takes in an average year, the Richmond, Va., court schedules arguments in about 450, its website stated. An appeals court "seemed interested" this week in former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager's argument for a new prison sentence in the killing of Walter Scott, his lawyer said Friday.