Justin Bamberg facts for kids

Justin Tyler Bamberg was born on March 7, 1987. He is an American lawyer and a politician. He serves in the South Carolina House of Representatives. This means he helps make laws for the state of South Carolina. He represents the 90th district, which covers Bamberg County and parts of Orangeburg County.

Early Life and School

Justin Bamberg was born in Bamberg, South Carolina. He went to the University of South Carolina. There, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Later, he studied law at the University of South Carolina School of Law. He earned his law degree in 2011.

Political Career

Justin Bamberg is a member of the Democratic Party. He serves in the South Carolina House of Representatives. He is also part of the House Judiciary Committee. This committee works on laws related to the justice system.

Becoming a Representative

In 2014, the person who held the 90th district seat, Bakari Sellers, decided to run for Lieutenant Governor. This left the seat open. Justin Bamberg ran for the position. He won the Democratic Primary election. Then, he won the general election by a small number of votes. He became a state representative on November 10, 2014.

Supporting Presidential Candidates

In late 2015, Bamberg first supported Hillary Clinton for president. But in January 2016, he changed his support. He then endorsed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Bamberg said he supported Sanders because of his strong focus on "racial, social and economic justice." Bamberg traveled with Sanders and spoke on his behalf. In April 2019, Bamberg again supported Bernie Sanders for president.

Winning Elections

In 2016, Bamberg ran for re-election. He won the Democratic Primary election. He then defeated Republican Dan Lawrence in the main election. In 2018, Bamberg did not have any opponents. This meant he won his seat again without needing an election. In 2020, he successfully defended his seat. He won the Democratic Primary and then narrowly defeated Glenn Posey. In June 2022, Bamberg won his Democratic Primary election. In November 2022, he defeated Sharon Carter to secure his next term.

Working on Redistricting

In 2021, Bamberg was chosen to be on a special committee. This committee was called the South Carolina House of Representatives Redistricting Ad Hoc Committee. Redistricting is the process of redrawing the lines of election districts. This is done to make sure each district has about the same number of people. The committee presented new plans for the districts. In January 2022, some people discussed how the new plan moved parts of Orangeburg City into Bamberg's district. The new redistricting plans were approved in June 2022.

Legal Work

Justin Bamberg is a personal injury lawyer. He works at his own law firm, Bamberg Legal, LLC. He has helped people in many important legal cases. These cases often involve serious accidents or issues with law enforcement.

Important Cases

Bamberg has represented families in several well-known cases. For example, he represented the family of Alton Sterling in Louisiana. He also represented the family of Keith Scott in North Carolina. He helped the family of Kouren-Rodney Bernard Thomas. This young man was shot and killed in 2016.

Bamberg also helped an 86-year-old man. This man was tasered by an officer after a traffic stop. Bamberg quickly helped the grandfather get a large legal settlement. This settlement was for civil rights violations. It was one of the fastest and largest settlements of its kind in South Carolina.

He also represented the mother of Del'Quan Seagers. Del'Quan died in 2015 while in the care of a juvenile facility. Bamberg's work on this case helped start important discussions. These discussions were about how juvenile facilities are run in the United States.

Walter Scott Case

Bamberg represented the family of Walter Scott. Walter Scott was a man who was shot by a police officer. In October 2015, Bamberg helped the Scott family reach a $6.5 million settlement. This was to resolve claims for wrongful death and civil rights violations. It was the largest settlement of its kind in South Carolina history before a lawsuit was even filed. The former officer involved later pleaded guilty to federal civil rights violations.

Kamiyah Mobley Case

In January 2017, news came out about Kamiyah Mobley. She was a baby who was taken from a hospital in Florida in 1998. She was found living in South Carolina as a teenager. She had been raised by the person who took her. When she was 18, Mobley hired Bamberg to represent her. He helped her get important documents like identification and a Social Security card.

Alex Murdaugh Case

In December 2021, Bamberg announced he was representing Johnny Bush. Bush was a person who said he was a victim of Alex Murdaugh. Murdaugh was accused of taking money from Bush. Later, in 2023, Murdaugh was found guilty of other serious crimes.

Legal Representation for Rebecca Hill

In September 2023, Alex Murdaugh's lawyers said they had new evidence. They wanted a new trial for Murdaugh. They made claims about the Clerk of Court, Rebecca Hill. Hill then hired two lawyers, Justin Bamberg and Will Lewis, to represent her in the case. On March 25, 2024, Rebecca Hill resigned from her position. She stood with attorney Bamberg when she announced her resignation.