South Carolina General Assembly
113th Session, 1999-2000

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

Bill 1008


                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      1008
Ratification Number:              407
Act Number:                       376
Type of Legislation:              General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                 Senate
Introduced Date:                  20000111
Primary Sponsor:                  Holland
All Sponsors:                     Holland and Hutto
Drafted Document Number:          l:\s-jud\bills\holland\jud0076.dhh.doc
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:     20000601
Date of Last Amendment:           20000601
Governor's Action:                S
Date of Governor's Action:        20000614
Subject:                          Motor vehicles, drivers licenses, 
                                  suspension, DUS, DUI; Courts, magistrates, 
                                  general sessions; Contraband, Prisoners


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
------  20000711  Act No. A376
------  20000614  Signed by Governor
------  20000608  Ratified R407
House   20000601  Concurred in Senate amendment, 
                  enrolled for ratification
Senate  20000601  House amendments amended,
                  returned to House with amendment
House   20000601  Read third time, returned to Senate
                  with amendment
------  20000601  Scrivener's error corrected
House   20000531  Amended, read second time
House   20000525  Committee report: Favorable with       25 HJ
                  amendment
House   20000307  Recommitted to Committee               25 HJ
House   20000301  Committee report: Favorable with       25 HJ
                  amendment
House   20000210  Introduced, read first time,           25 HJ
                  referred to Committee
Senate  20000209  Read third time, sent to House
Senate  20000203  Read second time
------  20000203  Scrivener's error corrected
Senate  20000202  Committee report: Favorable            11 SJ
Senate  20000111  Introduced, read first time,           11 SJ
                  referred to Committee


              Versions of This Bill
Revised on February 2, 2000 - Word format
Revised on February 3, 2000 - Word format
Revised on March 1, 2000 - Word format
Revised on May 25, 2000 - Word format
Revised on May 31, 2000 - Word format
Revised on June 1, 2000 - Word format
Revised on June 1, 2000-A - Word format

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A376, R407, S1008)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-460, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO PENALTIES FOR DRIVING WHILE A LICENSE HAS BEEN CANCELED, SUSPENDED, OR REVOKED, SO AS TO PROVIDE MAGISTRATE COURTS WITH EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION IN ALL CASES INVOLVING DRIVING UNDER SUSPENSION EXCEPT THOSE CASES WHERE THE SUSPENSION RESULTED FROM A CONVICTION FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS AND TO INCREASE PENALTIES; TO AMEND SECTION 22-3-545, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE TRANSFER OF CERTAIN CASES FROM GENERAL SESSIONS COURT, SO AS TO PROVIDE THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE CRIMINAL COURT JUDGE RETAINS SUPERVISION OVER THE TRANSFERRED CASES; AND TO ADD SECTION 24-3-965, SO AS TO PROVIDE THE OFFENSES OF PROVIDING CONTRABAND, OTHER THAN WEAPONS OR ILLEGAL DRUGS, TO PRISONERS AND OF POSSESSION OF CONTRABAND, OTHER THAN WEAPONS OR ILLEGAL DRUGS, BY PRISONERS MUST BE TRIED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Increased penalties; jurisdiction in magistrate's court; exception

SECTION 1. Section 56-1-460 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 459 of 1996, is further amended to read:

"Section 56-1-460. (A)(1) Except as provided in subitem (2), a person who drives a motor vehicle on any public highway of this State when his license to drive is canceled, suspended, or revoked must, upon conviction, be punished as follows:

(a) for a first offense, fined two hundred dollars or imprisoned for thirty days, or both;

(b) for a second offense, fined five hundred dollars or imprisoned for sixty consecutive days, or both; and

(c) for a third and subsequent offense, imprisoned for not less than ninety days nor more than six months, no portion of which may be suspended by the trial judge.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 22-3-540, 22-3-545, and 22-3-550, an offense punishable under this subitem must be tried exclusively in magistrate's court.

(2) A person who drives a motor vehicle on any public highway of this State when his license has been suspended or revoked pursuant to the provisions of Section 56-5-2990 must, upon conviction, be punished as follows:

(a) for a first offense, imprisoned for not less than ten nor more than thirty days;

(b) for a second offense, imprisoned for not less than sixty days nor more than six months;

(c) for a third and subsequent offense, imprisoned for not less than six months nor more than three years.

No portion of the minimum sentence imposed under this subitem may be suspended.

(B) The department upon receiving a record of the conviction of any person under this section upon a charge of driving a vehicle while his license was suspended for a definite period of time shall extend the period of the suspension for an additional like period. If the original period of suspension has expired or terminated before trial and conviction, the department shall again suspend the license of the person for an additional like period of time. If the suspension is not for a definite period of time, the suspension must be for an additional three months. If the license of a person cited for a violation of this section is suspended solely pursuant to the provisions of Section 56-25-20, the additional period of suspension pursuant to this section is thirty days and the person does not have to offer proof of financial responsibility as required under Section 56-9-500 prior to his license being reinstated. If the conviction was for a charge of driving while a license was revoked, the department shall not issue a new license for an additional period of one year from the date the person could otherwise have applied for a new license. Only those violations which occurred within a period of five years including and immediately preceding the date of the last violation constitute prior violations within the meaning of this section."

Chief judge retains administrative supervision

SECTION 2. Section 22-3-545(C) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 7 of 1995, is further amended to read:

"(C) All cases transferred to the magistrate's or municipal court must be prosecuted by the solicitor's office. The chief judge for administrative purposes for the court of general sessions shall retain administrative supervision of cases transferred pursuant to this section. The chief magistrate of the county or the chief municipal judge of the municipality upon petition of the solicitor, and approval of the chief judge for administrative purposes for the court of general sessions, shall set the terms of court and order the magistrates and municipal judges to hold terms of court on specific times and dates for the disposition of these cases."

Jurisdiction in magistrate's court; exception

SECTION 3. Article 9, Chapter 3, Title 24 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 24-3-965. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 22-3-540, 22-3-545, 22-3-550, 24-3-950, and 24-7-155, the offenses of furnishing contraband, other than weapons or illegal drugs, to a prisoner under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections or to a prisoner in a county jail, municipal jail, prison, work camp, or overnight lockup facility, and the possession of contraband, other than weapons or illegal drugs, by a prisoner under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections or by a prisoner in any county jail, municipal jail, prison, work camp, or overnight lockup facility must be tried exclusively in magistrate's court."

Time effective

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 8th day of June, 2000.

Approved the 14th day of June, 2000.

__________


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