“They’ve already taken my daughter. Now they’re threatening to take my freedom—because I can’t pay $25,000 to a man who admits he’s done investigating me.”
— William H. Sewell
Introduction: When the System Isn’t Broken—It’s Operating Exactly as Designed
William H. Sewell is a father and a mechanic from Summerville, South Carolina. He’s not a criminal. He’s not abusive. He’s not negligent. He is, however, poor—and that alone may be enough to cost him his freedom next week.
After being stripped of custody, drained by attorneys, and left without due process, William is now staring down the barrel of jail time for not being able to pay a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) $25,000, even though the GAL publicly admitted the investigation was complete and that both parents were deemed fit.
This is not a case about protecting children. This is about legal extortion—and how a small group of insiders, including ex-sheriff and family law attorney Donnie Gamache, have turned the South Carolina family court system into a private racket.
$25,000 or Jail: The Price of Being a Father
The court has ordered William to pay a GAL fee of $25,000, with a $6,000 installment due by Monday, June 2, 2025. If he fails to pay, the judge has threatened him with contempt and incarceration.
Let that sink in: a working-class father is being threatened with jail for being too poor to pay fees in a custody case where he’s already lost his child.
“He told me, ‘Give the Guardian $6,000 by Monday or go to jail.’ That’s it. That’s the law here now.” — William H. Sewell
Despite earning a modest income as a mechanic and already paying child support to his ex-wife—a practicing doctor—William is being squeezed to the point of collapse. Meanwhile, no evidence of abuse, neglect, or unfitness has ever been proven against him.
The GAL: A Finished Investigation… with an Open Invoice
According to William, the Guardian ad Litem in his case admitted that the investigation was complete and that both parents were fit. Yet the court continues to demand additional fees. Why?
Because in South Carolina, GALs are allowed to charge whatever they want, indefinitely— even when their services are no longer required.
Ignored Evidence, Injuries, and Affidavits
William’s daughter, Dema, has been injured multiple times in the care of her mother Leslie Tannery Sewell, including:
- A broken leg
- Over six separate dog bites from four different dogs — including her brother’s dog and a sitter’s dog
- Numerous untreated bug bites showing swelling and bleeding
- Being served alcohol by her mother
William has submitted photographic evidence, which I have seen, as well as sworn, signed, and notarized affidavits from multiple witnesses who have observed the drinking and neglect firsthand.
But all of it has been ignored by the attorneys and the GAL.
Leslie Tannery Sewell is an advanced nurse practitioner and osteopractic who works at an urgent care in Walterboro, SC and operates a holistic health bar from her home in Summerville. She is supposed to be homeschooling Dema but according to William, she fails to do so.
No Counsel. No Justice. No Escape.
William has burned through three attorneys, each of whom he alleges had ties to his ex-wife’s legal team or the GAL himself. None of them helped him. One even asked the court not to allow any continuance, effectively locking William into a final hearing without representation.
When he reached out to the Attorney General’s Office, they didn’t help. Instead, they allegedly notified the opposing attorneys, leading to further retaliation.
“I sent a long email to the AG, and instead of investigating, he contacted all the lawyers and told them I reported them. Now they’re retaliating.” — William H. Sewell
6 Attorneys. 3 Judges. 0 Accountability.
William’s story isn’t about a single bad actor—it’s about a closed ecosystem of judges, lawyers, and guardians who move cases around like chess pieces.
Among the most powerful of them is Donnie Gamache, Leslie’s attorney and a former Dorchester County Sheriff, who William says is friends with judges and lawmakers like Mandy Kimmons, who is the expected judge presiding over the final hearing scheduled for June 9th.
William claims that Gamache hired a process server to enter his home while he wasn’t there, leave court papers inside, and then later falsely claimed that William had been properly served. Donnie seems like a real piece of work. Probably because he doesn’t have the legal skills to stand on his own as an attorney. What do you expect from an attorney whose phone number is PITBULL?
“My wife and I were perfectly willing and capable to work together to coparent and raise our child before Donnie got involved.” — William H. Sewell
DSS & Law Enforcement Protect the Wrong Side
When William filed reports of neglect with DSS investigator Kaneisha Gilson, she referred him to the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, where he met with a Sergeant Baker. But according to William, Baker had just gotten off the phone with Donnie Gamache before the interview—and promptly justified all of the allegations.
“He basically told me it’s legal for parents to give their children alcohol in South Carolina.”
The Cost of Speaking Out
After contacting Live 5 News reporter Emily Johnson, William believed his story would finally go public. She even gave him her personal number. But after a few days, she went cold. William believes someone from his ex’s team got to her.
He’s been stonewalled at every turn. The court clerk closed the window in his face. DSS told him they “work with Donnie Gamache every day.” Local attorneys won’t take his case. The judges won’t grant continuances. The media won’t respond.
So now, like so many fathers caught in the gears of family court corruption, William has only two choices: roll over and disappear—or speak out and risk everything.
He’s choosing the latter.
The Judge Is a Friend of Gamache
William believes that Mandy Kimmons, the judge who took custody away from him—the same judge now presiding over the final hearing—is a personal friend of Donnie Gamache. His motions have been ignored, and any attempt to delay or reconsider custody has been denied.
“At this point, these people are all untouchable.”
Final Hearing: June 9. Jail Threat: June 2.
As of this writing, William has no legal representation, no means to pay, and no guarantee of due process. If the court follows through, he may be arrested and jailed by the time you finish reading this article. And for the thugs of Dorchester County’s family court, what’s the crime?
If this were any other system—criminal law, bankruptcy court, disability court—a finding of indigency would halt proceedings or trigger safeguards.
But in family court?
There are no brakes. There are no laws.
And in Dorchester County, it seems to be the Donnie Gamache show.
What This Case Reveals
William’s story is not unique. It’s emblematic of a system that:
- Grants unchecked financial power to GALs
- Allows judicial cronyism and retaliation
- Denies poor parents their constitutional rights
- Prioritizes profit over parenthood
What You Can Do
- Share this article widely. Visibility is protection.
- Demand oversight of GALs, judges, and sheriff-linked attorneys in SC.
- Support William by amplifying his voice and helping him file emergency motions.
- Contact your legislators and demand reform of GAL appointment and oversight.
- Tag Live 5 News and ask why William’s story hasn’t been covered.
- Support legal reform coalitions fighting for due process in family courts.
Final Words
“They’ve taken my daughter. They’ve taken my money. Now they want to take my freedom—for being poor. This isn’t justice. This is legal kidnapping and extortion.”
— William H. Sewell
If family court was designed to protect children, why does it keep destroying parents?
If due process only applies to those who can afford it, is it justice at all?
If this can happen to a father like William, it can happen to you.
This is Part 1 in our ongoing series, “Court of Ruin: The William Sewell Files.”
Justice doesn’t happen by itself. We build it — or we let it rot.
If you have a case in Dorchester County, SC, you would like to share, please contact us.
All claims in this article are based on the personal experiences and allegations made by William H. Sewell. This article includes opinions and reporting based on interviews, court documents, and publicly available information. Donnie Gamache and any other named parties are presumed innocent of any wrongdoing unless proven otherwise.
The Republic Dispatch 