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TO AMEND SECTION 22-3-800, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ABILITY OF A MAGISTRATE TO SUSPEND IMPOSITION OR EXECUTION OF A SENTENCE, SO AS TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE A MAGISTRATE MAY IMPOSE OR SUSPEND FROM ONE HUNDRED HOURS TO TWO HUNDRED FIFTY HOURS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 22-3-800 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 183 of 1993, is further amended to read:
"Section 22-3-800. Notwithstanding the limitations of Sections 17-25-100 and 24-21-410, after a conviction or plea for an offense within a magistrate's jurisdiction the magistrate at the time of sentence may suspend the imposition or execution of a sentence upon terms and conditions the magistrate considers appropriate, including imposing or suspending up to one two hundred fifty hours of community service, except where the amount of community service is established otherwise. The magistrate shall not order community service in lieu of a sentence for offenses under pursuant to Title 50, for offenses under pursuant to Section 34-11-90, or for an offense of driving under suspension pursuant to Section 56-1-460 when the person's driver's license was suspended pursuant to the provisions of Section 56-5-2990. The magistrate must shall keep records on the community service hours ordered and served for each sentence. However, after a conviction or plea for drawing and uttering a fraudulent check or other instrument in violation of Section 34-11-60 within the magistrate's jurisdiction, at the time of sentence the magistrate may suspend the imposition or execution of a sentence only upon a showing of satisfactory proof of restitution. When a minimum sentence is provided for by statute, except in Section 34-11-90, the magistrate may not suspend that sentence below the minimum sentence provided, and penalties under pursuant to Title 50 may not be suspended to an amount less than twenty-five dollars unless the minimum penalty is a fine of less than that amount. Nothing in this section may be construed to This section does not authorize or empower a magistrate to suspend a specific suspension of a right or privilege imposed under a statutory administrative penalty. Nothing in this section may be construed to This section does not give a magistrate the right to place a person on probation."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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