Sep 30, 2013 | Criminal Defense, Felony DUI, General, Uncategorized
Even the famous cannot escape the law. This holds true for one of the stars of the now famous “Myrtle Manor.”
This 21-year-olds had to learn the hard way that even fame can’t protect you from violating the law when they were both charged with DUIs over the weekend.
According to the local paper, this original reason the “starts” were pulled over was for a routine traffic stop. The driver was speeding at 62 m.p.h. in a 45 m.p.h. zone. The officer saw the speeding car and pulled the duo over.
When he reached the driver’s window, the smell of alcohol was effervescing from the vehicle. At that point, the officer asked the girl to step out of the vehicle, and saw an open container sticking out from under her driver seat.
The girl’s BAC level was at a .15, which is right at the boarder of what is considered a “extremely high BAC level.” In South Carolina, an ignition interlock is only necessary if the defendant blows over a .16. In South Carolina, when you teeter on that line, the court may or may not require the ignition interlock. If she were in North Carolina, that BAC level would require her to have an ignition interlock installed in her vehicle.
In her case, she was not required to have an ignition interlock installed in her vehicle.
Anytime you are arrested for a DUI, the prudent decision is to contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible. The penalties associated with this charge can range anywhere from a license suspension, to monetary fines, ignition interlocks, or even jail time.
If you have been charged with a DUI in North or South Carolina, contact the experienced DUI attorneys at Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, LLP for assistance with your case toll free at 877-374-5999 or locally at 843-901-0380.
Sep 27, 2013 | Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Uncategorized
According to both South Carolina law and the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV), the number of offenses that gets placed on your driving record is reflected by the number of DUIs that you have received within a 10-year period.
Thereafter, if a person is driving on a suspended license, and is caught while doing so, their suspension shall be extended for an additional year. The same holds true if a person has received their 3rd DUI. If you receive 4 DUIs in South Carolina, then you’re driving privileges are then terminated.
Then, after 7 years, the driver may petition the appropriate court after certain requirements have been met.
Specifically, the driver must of not had ANY driving under the influence charges or driving while on a suspended license violations within the past seven years. Secondly, the driver must have completed the required Alcohol and Substance Abuse Programs.
It is not required to have your SR-22 insurance of the 3 year period in which the original suspension has already ended. There will be no reinstatement fee if the SR-22 shows that there was no lapse during the coverage.
lastly, you must pay for the original ticket/fine, and then show proof via receipt to the SCDMV.
Some of this can get a little tricky. An experienced DUI attorney can handle all of the necessaries for you. Contact the law offices of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, LLP toll-free at 877-374-5999 for more information on your options.
Sep 26, 2013 | Car Accidents, Criminal Defense, Felony DUI, Uncategorized
The Highway Patrol of South Carolina is currently investigating an accident that occurred overnight in Dorchester County. Sadly, this accident turned to be a fatal one.
Saturday night, around 11:30 p.m., two friends had been out drinking and one of them decided to call it a night. The 21-year-old defendant male was driving his Jeep home under dark and damp conditions with a female passenger, also age 21.
There were two cars traveling northbound on I-17, fairly close to the Highway 61 intersection. One of those cars had the 21-year-old intoxicated driver behind the wheel. The drunk driver was attempting to pass the car that was traveling parallel to him when the Jeep and the other vehicle made contact with one another.
The impact must have been quite severe, because the Jeep was thrown off the road, flipped over twice, and a female passenger was ejected out of the vehicle. The female was pronounced dead by the time the EMTs arrived. Neither of the people in the Jeep was wearing their seatbelt at the time of the incident.
The male has been charged with a Felony DUI, due to the severity of the condition his passenger was found in.
What is a Felony DUI in South Carolina?
In the state of South Carolina, a felony charge of a DUI has three requisites that must be met in order for the defendant to be properly charged as such.
The first element is that the person must have operated a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol or both.
The second element requires that the person was doing something either illegal or unlawful. This could mean anything from a violation of a traffic law or failure to uphold your responsibility to the court, such as failure to appear or pay a fine. The most common illegal act is found when the person is intoxicated, and the officer is given reasonable suspicion through the defendant failing to maintain his vehicle in his lane, or acting negligent or reckless with his driving behavior.
Lastly, the serious injury or death must have been the proximate cause of the great bodily injury or death to any person other than himself, including passengers, pedestrians, and other motorists.
Sep 25, 2013 | Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, General, Uncategorized
Your First DUI Offense:
In South Carolina, a person will be charged with a DUI if they are found to have a BAC level ( blood alcohol level) of .08 or higher. The penalty is anywhere from 30 days jail time, to 48 hours of community service by a number of designated programs. Moreover, they will be forced to pay a fine of at least $400.
However, if it is your first DUI offense, and your BAC level of anywhere from .1 to .15, their penalty could still be 30 days in jail, yet the community service may be elevated to 72 hours, and the fine will be increased by $100, to $500.
Lastly, if it is your first DUI offense, and your BAC level is .16 or higher, your jail sentence could be anywhere from 30 to 60 days, plus additional community service. The fine for this penalty is up to $1000.
If you have just be charged with your first, second, third, and so forth, then contact the DUI Defense attorneys at Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, LLP toll-free at 877-374-5999 for more
information on your case and options and possible outcomes
Sep 25, 2013 | Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Uncategorized
A local young adult, at age 20, is currently behind bars after he led the local Police Department on a moped chase, at a mere 20 m.p.h.
We don’t know how far he got travelling at that speed, but it is safe to assume that the police caught up to his fairly quickly.
The Police charged the 18-year-old after apprehension with three seperate charges” ” running / fleeing from the blue light,” ” providing the polcie with false information,” and ” operating a vehicle while intoxicated, underage.”
The police were first alerted to the area of Olivia Drive in Dorchester, for a vehicle pursit. The police then stated when they arriced, they were informed that the driver was intoxicated,but just driving a moped.By the time they got to themoped, the defendant had taken off on foot after tossing his moped in a ditch, in an attempt to evade the police arrest. The police saw a man with the same discroption that the eye witnesses provided, and saw him running next to another man, who was incidentally on a moped as well.
The defendant tried yo jump onto his frien’s moped, but was unsuccessful, injuring himself after making an intoicated leap.
When a person attempts to flee from the police, there are then deemed by the South Carolina State Law as a “Fugitive from justice.”
A fugitive from justice is defined in South Carolina Section 16-23-10 as “any person who has fled from or is fleeing from any law enforcement officer to avoid prosecution or imprisonment for a crime of violence.” S.C. Gen Stat. 16-23-10(2012).
Once you are titled a fugitive from justice, it will remain on your permanent record. Anyone who flees from the police, whether via car chase, or on foot such as the situation above, will have this title that may follow them the rest of their lives. it may in fact affect future employment opportunities, or even raise your insurance rates.
If you have been charged with committing a serious crime and need a serious lawyer to defend you, contact to law offices of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, LLP for more information on your options. Contact us toll-free at 877-374-5999 to discuss the possibilities
Sep 24, 2013 | DUI & DWI, Felony DUI, Uncategorized
A 19-year-old man from York, South Carolina, has been charged with one count of Felony DUI resulting in death, two counts of felony DUI resulting in great bodily injury and driving 
under a suspended license. This is the second DUI for the man this year.
Police report that the man swerved from the right side of the road, struck a tree causing the car to flip over ejecting all four of the passengers. One of the passengers, an 18 year old Clover girl, was killed. The other passengers were taken to the hospital; however, they were not seriously injured.
This is a real situation that can demonstrate the charges a driver can face if they drive while under the influence. If people are injured or killed as a result of a DUI, the driver will be held accountable for such actions through the court system and face serious criminal charges. Felony DUI resulting in Death carries a possibility of up to 25 years in prison. The following illustrates the South Carolina Code of Laws with regard to Felony DUI:
56-5-2945. Offense of felony driving under the influence; penalties; “great bodily injury” defined.
(A) A person who, while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or the combination of alcohol and drugs, drives a motor vehicle and when driving a motor vehicle does any act forbidden by law or neglects any duty imposed by law in the driving of the motor vehicle, which act or neglect proximately causes great bodily injury or death to a person other than himself, is guilty of the offense of felony driving under the influence and, upon conviction, must be punished:
(1) by a mandatory fine of not less than five thousand one hundred dollars nor more than ten thousand one hundred dollars and mandatory imprisonment for not less than thirty days nor more than fifteen years when great bodily injury results;
(2) by a mandatory fine of not less than ten thousand one hundred dollars nor more than twenty-five thousand one hundred dollars and mandatory imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than twenty-five years when death results.
A part of the mandatory sentences required to be imposed by this section must not be suspended, and probation must not be granted for any portion.
(B) As used in this section, “great bodily injury” means bodily injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious, permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.
The Department of Motor Vehicles must suspend the driver’s license of a person who is convicted or who receives sentence upon a plea of guilty or nolo contendere pursuant to this section for a period to include a period of incarceration plus three years for a conviction of Section 56-5-2945 when “great bodily injury” occurs and five years when a death occurs. This period of incarceration shall not include any portion of a suspended sentence such as probation, parole, supervised furlough, or community supervision. For suspension purposes of this section, convictions arising out of a single incident shall run concurrently.
(C) One hundred dollars of each fine imposed pursuant to this section must be placed by the Comptroller General into a special restricted account to be used by the Department of Public Safety for the Highway Patrol.
If you or someone you know has been charged with any crime, call the South Carolina criminal defense attorneys of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower at 877-374-5999 for a confidential consultation.
