Soles Receives Fine, No Jail Sentence in Shooting Case

RALEIGH — State Sen. R.C. Soles Jr., D-Columbus, is free to return to his law practice and his seat in the General Assembly. The 75-year-old lawmaker pleaded guilty Thursday in Columbus County Superior Court to a misdemeanor charge of assault with a deadly weapon. Under the plea agreement, Soles will pay more than $1,000 in court costs but face no other penalties.