From Cliff Thies:

After a grand jury indictment for shooting a 22-year old man, North Carolina state Sen. R.C. Soles, a Democrat, said he will not seek re-election next year. A criminal attorney, Soles apparently maintained close relations with his former clients. He says this was to ease them back to a law-abiding life and denies it was because he was having sexual relations with them. Soles is the latest in a string of senior Democrats in the state legislature that are stepping down.

Soles, from Tabor City, is the State's longest serving legislator.

From the Raleigh News & Observer, Dec. 30:

Soles long was at the center of grumbling in his hometown of Tabor City about young men who were former legal clients and hung around his home or law office.

In the August incident, Soles shot 22-year-old Thomas Kyle Blackburn, who was allegedly trying to kick in Soles' front door.

Soles' lawyer, Joseph Cheshire of Raleigh, has said the shooting was self-defense. Cheshire and Soles repeatedly have said that Soles has been generous to former clients in hoping to ease them back to a law-abiding life. Soles has denied having sexual relations with any of the young men.

An NC political blog out of Wilmington - Clean it up Dammit - which regularly covers corrupt politics in the region has more details:

The boy, a 16 year old kid with some troubles that the good senator helped to deal with, told the senator that he would go to the news with stories that would ruin the senator's career. The Senator had the kid, Allen Strickland, arrested and the kid said, "see you in prison"

(Photo of the 16 year old accuser at the Clean it up blog.)