Hubbard makes his move to become top prosecutor in Lexington County

The dining area at Rick Hubbard’s home near Gilbert is serving as the headquarters of his bid to succeed his political mentor.

Campaign material occupies that part of the home that Hubbard otherwise calls a “complete escape” from his 21 years as a prosecutor in Lexington County and three adjoining counties.

The political war room is where he is solidifying his campaign efforts to become the first new 11th Circuit solicitor in more than a generation.

Being in charge of the 11th Circuit is a goal that blossomed during Hubbard’s rise through the ranks to become second-in-command to retiring solicitor Donnie Myers.

“For Rick, it’s a calling,” said assistant solicitor Al Eargle, who has known Hubbard for 24 years. “He is in his element – he is a natural in the courtroom.”

That characterization meshes with the 51-year-old Hubbard’s campaign theme – that his experience makes him ready to take charge out of the starting gate.

His bid to win the three-candidate race for solicitor appears off to a promising start.

Much of the law enforcement community is lining up behind him, with new Sheriff Jay Koon calling Hubbard “the steady hand we need.” Hubbard has raised nearly $50,000, mainly from Midlands lawyers, about $6,000 more than his two opponents combined.

Despite those advantages, he knows that name recognition is not his strong suit. “I’m as unknown as anybody running,” he said. Still, Hubbard has a wide network of friends developed during his years as an assistant prosecutor known for meticulous case preparation.

The groundwork for this campaign was laid when he became interested in politics while attending law school at the University of South Carolina in the late 1980s, friends say.

His brother-in-law, state Rep. Todd Atwater, R-Lexington, said the pair founded a conservative club during law school that attracted few other students.

Hubbard’s political leanings show up even in the names of Republican presidential icons he gave two of his three dogs – Ike and Reagan.

While Hubbard may not be a household name, he is well-regarded among legal and political insiders.

Columbia lawyer Leigh Leventis, a friend and supporter, describes Hubbard as “the Lewis McCarty of the solicitor’s office.” McCarty’s 10-month tenure as top county lawman is credited with erasing the black eye suffered from former Sheriff James Metts’ conviction and a year in federal prison for interfering with the handling of two detainees at the jail who were in the country illegally.

Myers, too, gives Hubbard his blessing. “The others are not even close to having the trial and managerial experience,” Myers said in a statement Friday. “There will be no on-the-job training (necessary) with Rick.”

MYERS’ SHADOW

Hubbard’s ties to Myers could wind up being a wild card at a time of rising anti-incumbent sentiment.

Supporters of Hubbard fret that voters upset with Myers’ latest arrest for drunk driving – his third alcohol-related traffic offense in 11 years – will take it out on his heir-apparent.

Hubbard said he and Myers are opposites outside the courtroom.

His routine is going home with wife Ann – in charge of pretrial intervention at the solicitor’s office – to the log cabin whose construction he oversaw, Hubbard said.

Once there, the couple play with their dogs while preparing dinner, watching television, reading and calling it a night early, he said. Hubbard is partial to game shows such as “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy.”

He and Myers “lead completely different lives,” Hubbard said of his widowed former boss with a reputation for partying. But Myers occasionally gives tickets for college and professional sports games to Hubbard, an avid baseball fan.

And they have one personal connection – Myers’ late wife Vance encouraged his relationship with Ann and his boss attended their small wedding, Hubbard said. Still, Myers favors colorful attire while Hubbard wears traditional dark suits. And Myers is a flashy and gifted storyteller, while Hubbard is plainspoken and studied.

Hubbard “is his own man,” Myers said.

ON THE JOB

Like Myers, Hubbard is intense when it comes to fighting violent crime.

A prosecutor’s chief role is “going after really bad people and getting good results,” Hubbard said.

Doing that means listening to police, victims and defendants to develop trust and respect for decisions that often mean prison for offenders – but sometimes less than victims’ families want, he said.

Hubbard’s expertise reaches outside the courtroom, even before criminal laws are written.

Atwater said he often consults him on legislative proposals that would toughen criminal penalties so he can learn the pros and cons of their impact. “He wants to be stern but warns you can’t go too far,” the lawmaker said.

Hubbard frequently taught prosecutors and police officers about changes in law enforcement.

One challenge awaiting the next solicitor is reducing a backlog of unresolved cases – 4,800 in Lexington County alone – that Sheriff Koon said contributes significantly to overcrowding of the county jail.

Hubbard plans to reduce the backlog by relying partly on pre-trial intervention to handle nonviolent offenses such as forgery. He also said he’s sympathetic to officials in the outlying areas who want more victim advocates.

Then there’s the looming death penalty trial of Timothy Jones, charged with killing his five children in their Red Bank home in August 2014. It’s the largest mass murders in the Midlands in 50 years.

Hubbard has significant experience in such matters, although Myers always took the lead and got the death penalty in 28 killings (though many were overturned on appeal).

If elected, Hubbard intends to meet regularly with community groups to explain what prosecutors are doing and listen to reaction. He plans to keep his cell phone number known to many, including some criminal defendants. That underscores Hubbard’s resolve, long-time associate Eargle said. “Rick’s phone stays on 24/7,” he said.

Friends compare Hubbard to Jack McCoy, the tough and sometimes crusading prosecutor of the “Law and Order” television series. “This life is what he does,” Atwater said.

But Hubbard took a step away from being a prosecutor a year ago to join the state Attorney General’s staff.

“I really thought I was going from being a player/manager to a coach,” he said of becoming an adviser to local prosecutors across the state on how to win criminal cases.

His career path took a sharp turn once Myers notified him in mid-March of his decision to retire, putting Hubbard’s longtime dream within his grasp.

“I know it sounds old-fashioned, but I went home and prayed with my wife to make sure,” Hubbard said. “Then I took the plunge.”

This story was originally published May 15, 2016 at 9:01 PM with the headline "Hubbard makes his move to become top prosecutor in Lexington County."