Source: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/query.php?search=DOC&searchtext=alcohol%20education&category=CODEOFLAWS&conid=13507393&result_pos=0&keyval=13024&numrows=10
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 00:51:47+00:00

Document:
alcohol education found 26 times.
This article may be cited as the "Pretrial Intervention Act."
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 2.
(1) The term "prosecutorial discretion" shall mean the power of the circuit solicitor to consider all circumstances of criminal proceedings and to determine whether any legal action is to be taken and, if so taken, of what kind and degree and to what conclusion.
(2) The term "noncriminal disposition" shall mean the dismissal of a criminal charge without prejudice to the State to reinstate criminal proceedings on motion of the solicitor.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 3.
SECTION 17-22-30. Circuit solicitors to establish pretrial intervention programs; oversight of administrative procedures.
(A) Each circuit solicitor shall have the prosecutorial discretion as defined herein and shall as a matter of such prosecutorial discretion establish a pretrial intervention program in the respective circuits.
(B) The circuit solicitors are specifically endowed with and shall retain all discretionary powers under the common law.
(C) A pretrial intervention program shall be under the direct supervision and control of the circuit solicitor; however, he may contract for services with any agency desired.
(D) The South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination shall oversee administrative procedures for the Circuit Solicitors' Pretrial Intervention Programs.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 4; 1992 Act No. 453, § 1; 1992 Act No. 499, § 1.
SECTION 17-22-40. Pretrial intervention coordinator; staff; funding.
There is established the office of Pretrial Intervention Coordinator whose responsibility is to assist the solicitor in each judicial circuit in establishing and maintaining a pretrial intervention program. The office of Pretrial Intervention Coordinator must be within the South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination. The coordinator and such staff as is necessary to assist in the implementation of the provisions of this article must be employed by the South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination. The office of the coordinator must be funded by an appropriation to the Commission on Prosecution Coordination in the state general appropriation act.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 5; 1982 Act No. 421, § 7; 1992 Act No. 453, § 2; 1992 Act No. 499, § 2.
SECTION 17-22-50. Persons not to be considered for intervention.
(B) However, this section does not apply if the solicitor determines the elements of the crime do not fit the charge.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 6; 1982 Act No. 421, § 1; 1985 Act No. 106, § 1; 1992 Act No. 453, § 3; 1992 Act No. 499, § 3; 2003 Act No. 92, § 4, eff January 1, 2004; 2008 Act No. 201, § 17, eff at 12:00 p.m. on February 10, 2009.
In 2014, at the direction of the Code Commissioner, in subsection (A)(2)(d), the reference to Section 50-9-1020 was changed to Section 50-9-1120, to correct a typographical error.
SECTION 17-22-55. Additional conditions for admission to pretrial intervention of person charged with fish, game, wildlife, or commercial fishery-related offense.
As a condition of admission to the pretrial intervention program of a person charged with a fish, game, wildlife, or commercial fishery-related offense which does not disqualify him for intervention, this person shall pay an additional administrative charge equal to the maximum monetary fine, not to exceed five hundred dollars, which could be imposed for the offense. The administrative charge must be deposited in the game and fish fund of the county where the offense was committed. Also, if any property was seized and confiscated at the time of the arrest for the offense, as a condition of admission to the pretrial intervention program, the offender must agree to the retention and sale of that property as provided by law by the law enforcement agency making the seizure. The proceeds from the sale also must be deposited in the game and fish fund of the county wherein the offense was committed.
HISTORY: 1992 Act No. 499, § 4.
SECTION 17-22-60. Standards of eligibility for intervention program.
(7) the offender has not previously been accepted in a pretrial intervention program.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 7; 1992 Act No. 453, § 4; 1992 Act No. 499, § 5; 1995 Act No. 7, Part I § 22.
SECTION 17-22-70. Information which may be required by solicitor.
Prior to admittance of an offender into an intervention program, the solicitor or judge, if application is made to the court pursuant to Section 17-22-100, may require the offender to furnish information concerning the offender's past criminal record, education and work record, family history, medical or psychiatric treatment or care received, psychological tests taken and other information which, in the solicitor's or judge's opinion, has bearing on the decision as to whether the offender should be admitted. Solicitor's office records under this section shall adhere to and abide by Federal Confidentiality Regulation 42 CFR Part 2 and any other applicable federal, state, or local regulations.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 8; 1982 Act No. 421, § 2; 1992 Act No. 453, § 5; 1992 Act No. 499, § 6.
SECTION 17-22-80. Recommendations of victim and law enforcement agency.
Prior to any person being admitted to a pretrial intervention program the victim, if any, of the crime for which the applicant is charged and the law enforcement agency employing the arresting officer shall be asked to comment in writing as to whether or not the applicant should be allowed to enter an intervention program. In each case involving admission to an intervention program, the solicitor or judge, if application is made to the court pursuant to Section 17-22-100, shall consider the recommendations of the law enforcement agency and the victim, if any, in making a decision.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 9; 1992 Act No. 453, § 6; 1992 Act No. 499, § 7.
SECTION 17-22-90. Agreements required of offender in program.
(7) if the offense is domestic violence pursuant to Section 16-25-20, agree in writing to successful completion of a batterer's treatment program selected and approved by the Circuit Solicitor with jurisdiction over the offense or the Attorney General if the offense is prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office. If the offender moves to a different circuit after entering a treatment program selected by the Circuit Solicitor, the Circuit Solicitor for the county in which the offender resides shall have the authority to select and approve the batterer's treatment program.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 10; 1982 Act No. 421, § 3; 1996 Act No. 444, § 3; 2005 Act No. 166, § 6, eff January 1, 2006; 2012 Act No. 255, § 3, eff June 18, 2012; 2015 Act No. 58 (S.3), Pt IV, § 19, eff June 4, 2015.
2015 Act No. 58, § 19, rewrote (7).
SECTION 17-22-100. Time for application to intervention program.
An offender must make application to an intervention program or to the chief administrative judge of the court of general sessions no later than seventy-five days after service of the warrant or within ten days following appointment of counsel for the charge for which he makes the application. However, in the discretion of the solicitor or the chief administrative judge of the court of general sessions, if application is made directly to the judge, the provisions of this section may be waived. Applications received by the chief administrative judge of the court of general sessions under this section may be preliminarily approved by the judge pending a determination by the pretrial office that the offender is eligible to participate in a pretrial program pursuant to Sections 17-22-50 and 17-22-60. Applications received by the chief administrative judge of the court of general sessions and information obtained pursuant to Section 17-22-70 must be forwarded to the pretrial office.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 11; 1992 Act No. 453, § 7; 1992 Act No. 499, § 8.
SECTION 17-22-110. Fees for application and participation; waiver.
An applicant to an intervention program or an offender who applies to the chief administrative judge of the court of general sessions for admission to a program pursuant to Section 17-22-100 shall pay a nonrefundable application fee of one hundred dollars and, if accepted into the program, a nonrefundable participation fee of two hundred fifty dollars prior to admission. All fees paid must be deposited into a special circuit solicitor's fund for operation of the pretrial intervention program. All fees or costs of supervision may be waived partially or totally by the solicitor in cases of indigency. The solicitor may also, if he determines necessary, in situations other than indigency allow scheduling of payments in lieu of lump sum payment. In no case shall aggregate fees for application and participation in an intervention program exceed three hundred fifty dollars. However, in cases where the solicitor determines that referral to another agency or program is needed to achieve rehabilitation for a problem directly related to the charge, the defendant may be required to pay his participation in that special program, except that no services may be denied due to inability to pay.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 12; 1982 Act No. 421, § 4; 1987 Act No. 57 § 1; 1992 Act No. 453, § 8; 1992 Act No. 499, § 9; 1997 Act No. 59, § 1.
SECTION 17-22-120. Individual agreement between offender and solicitor; alcohol and drug abuse services.
In any case in which an offender agrees to an intervention program, a specific agreement must be made between the solicitor and the offender. This agreement shall include the terms of the intervention program, the length of the program and a section stating the period of time after which the prosecutor will either dismiss the charge or seek a conviction based upon that charge. The agreement must be signed by the offender and his or her counsel, if represented by counsel, and filed in the solicitor's office. The Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse shall provide training if requested on the recognition of alcohol and drug abuse to counselor employees of local pretrial intervention programs and the local agency authorized by Section 61-12-20 shall provide services to alcohol and drug abusers if referred by pretrial intervention programs. However, no services may be denied due to an offender's inability to pay.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 13; 1992 Act No. 453, § 9; 1992 Act No. 499, § 10.
SECTION 17-22-130. Reports and identification as to offenders accepted for intervention program.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 17-1-40, in all cases where an offender is accepted for intervention a report must be made and retained on file in the solicitor's office, regardless of whether or not the offender successfully completes the intervention program. All reports must be retained on file in the solicitor's office for a period of two years after successful completion, two years after rejection, or two years after unsuccessful completion of the program. After the retention of these reports for two years, they may be destroyed. The circuit solicitor shall furnish to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division personal identification information on each person who applies for intervention, is subsequently accepted or rejected and successfully or unsuccessfully completes the program. This information may only be used by the division and the State Coordinator's Office in those cases where a circuit solicitor inquires as to whether a person has previously been accepted in an intervention program. However, that information may be confidentially released to the State Coordinator's Office to assist in compiling annual reports. The identification information on any defendant must not be under any circumstances released as public knowledge.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 14; 1982 Act No. 421, § 5; 1992 Act No. 453, § 10; 1992 Act No. 499, § 11.
SECTION 17-22-140. Restitution to victim.
Prior to the completion of the pretrial intervention program the offender shall make restitution, as determined by the solicitor, to the victim, if any.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 15.
SECTION 17-22-150. Disposition of charges against offenders accepted for intervention program.
(a) In the event an offender successfully completes a pretrial intervention program, the solicitor shall effect a noncriminal disposition of the charge or charges pending against the offender. Upon such disposition, the offender may apply to the court for an order to destroy all official records relating to his arrest and no evidence of the records pertaining to the charge may be retained by any municipal, county, or state entity or any individual, except as otherwise provided in Section 17-22-130. The effect of the order is to restore the person, in the contemplation of the law, to the status he occupied before the arrest. No person as to whom the order has been entered may be held thereafter under any provision of any law to be guilty of perjury or otherwise giving a false statement by reason of his failure to recite or acknowledge the arrest in response to any inquiry made of him for any purpose.
(b) In the event the offender violates the conditions of the program agreement: (1) the solicitor may terminate the offender's participation in the program, (2) the waiver executed pursuant to § 17-22-90 shall be void on the date the offender is removed from the program for the violation and (3) the prosecution of pending criminal charges against the offender shall be resumed by the solicitor.
HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 360, § 16; 1982 Act No. 421, § 6; 1992 Act No. 453, § 11; 1992 Act No. 499, § 12.
SECTION 17-22-170. Unlawful retention or release of information regarding participation in intervention program; penalty.
Any municipal, county, or state entity or any individual who unlawfully retains or releases information on an offender's participation in a pretrial intervention program is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars or by imprisonment not to exceed one year.
The provisions of this section do not apply to circuit solicitors or their staff in the performance of their official duties.
HISTORY: 1992 Act No. 453, § 12; 1992 Act No. 499, § 13.
SECTION 17-22-300. Citation of article.
This article may be cited as the "Traffic Education Program Act".
HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 176, § 2, eff 90 days after Governor's approval (approved February 4, 2008).
SECTION 17-22-310. Prosecutorial discretion of Circuit Solicitor to establish traffic education program; administration.
(A) Each circuit solicitor has the prosecutorial discretion as defined in this chapter and shall as a matter of prosecutorial discretion establish a traffic education program in the respective circuits for persons who commit traffic-related offenses that are punishable only by a fine and loss of four points or less. A person may not participate in a traffic education program if the person's traffic-related offense resulted in death or serious bodily injury to another person.
(B) The circuit solicitors are specifically endowed with and retain all discretionary powers pursuant to the common law.
(C) A traffic education program must be under the direct supervision and control of the circuit solicitor; however, the solicitor may contract for services with a county or municipality in the circuit.
(D) The South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination shall oversee administrative procedures for the traffic education programs.
(E) A traffic education program must include both a community service and an educational component.
(A) A person may be considered for a traffic education program if he has no significant history of traffic violations. A person may not participate in a traffic education program more than once.
(B) A person's participation in a traffic education program does not prevent his participation in a pretrial intervention program pursuant to the provisions and conditions of Article 1.
HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 176, § 2, eff 90 days after Governor's approval (approved February 4, 2008); 2011 Act No. 55, § 1, eff June 14, 2011.
SECTION 17-22-330. Disposition of traffic-related offense on completion of program; subsequent violation.
(A) When a person successfully completes a traffic education program, the governmental agency administering the program shall effect a noncriminal disposition, as defined in this chapter, of the traffic-related offense, and there must be no record maintained of the traffic-related offense except by the appropriate traffic education program in order to ensure that a person does not benefit from the provisions of this article more than once.
(B) If applicable, the person may apply to the court for an order to destroy all official records relating to his arrest.
(C) If a person violates the conditions of a traffic education program, then the person may be terminated from the program and the traffic-related offense reinstated by the governmental agency administering the program in the appropriate municipality or county.
(D) If a person receives a subsequent traffic violation during the six months following the issuance of the ticket for which he has entered the traffic education program, he must be terminated from the program and the traffic-related offense must be reinstated by the governmental agency administering the program in the appropriate municipality or county.
SECTION 17-22-340. Office of Traffic Education Program Coordinator.
Each circuit solicitor may establish an Office of Traffic Education Program Coordinator whose responsibility is to assist in the establishment and maintenance of the traffic education program.
SECTION 17-22-350. Fees; waiver; distribution of fee proceeds.
(A) A person shall pay a nonrefundable one hundred forty-dollar fee to apply for a traffic education program that cannot be reduced or suspended. Additionally, a person shall pay a nonrefundable fee, not to exceed one hundred forty dollars, to participate in a traffic education program. Participation in a traffic education program may not be denied due to a person's inability to pay. If a person is deemed unable to pay, both the application fee and the participation fee must be waived.
(17) .02 percent to the Forestry Commission.
(21) .02 percent to the Forestry Commission.
Pursuant to 2017 Act No. 96, § 14, the references to "State Office of Victim Assistance" in (B)(4) and (C)(4) were changed to "Office of the Attorney General, South Carolina Crime Victim Services Division".
Each governmental agency that administers a traffic education program shall submit a traffic education program annual report, by the first day of August, to the Commission on Prosecution Coordination providing the total number of participants by original traffic-related offenses, the total number of participants that successfully completed the traffic education program, the total amount of fees collected, and the total revenue remitted to the municipalities, counties, and Office of the State Treasurer for the state's fiscal year. The Commission on Prosecution Coordination may establish additional guidelines for the annual reports. The annual reports must be made available for public inspection.
SECTION 17-22-370. Submission of information necessary for creation and maintenance of list of participants.
Each governmental agency that administers a traffic education program shall submit to the Commission on Prosecution Coordination necessary identifying information on each participant for the creation and maintenance of a list of participants in traffic education programs. This list is to be used by the commission for the sole purpose of complying with Section 17-22-320(A). The information collected by the commission only may be released to a governmental agency administering the program for the purpose of determining eligibility for a traffic education program.
SECTION 17-22-500. Citation of article.
This article may be cited as the " Alcohol Education Program Act".
HISTORY: 2007 Act No. 35, § 2, eff June 6, 2007.
SECTION 17-22-510. Prosecutorial discretion of Circuit Solicitor to establish alcohol education program; administration.
(A) Each circuit solicitor has the prosecutorial discretion as defined in this chapter and shall as a matter of prosecutorial discretion establish an alcohol education program in the respective circuits for persons who commit certain alcohol-related offenses.
(C) An alcohol education program must be under the direct supervision and control of the circuit solicitor; however, the solicitor may contract for education and supervision services.
(D) The South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination shall oversee administrative procedures for the alcohol education programs. The commission shall consult with the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services before the approval of these administrative procedures.
(E) An alcohol education program must include an educational and community service component.
SECTION 17-22-520. Eligibility requirements for consideration for program.
(3) has no significant history of prior delinquency or criminal activity on his record.
(B) A person may not participate in an alcohol education program more than once.
(11) another offense similar in nature and severity to the above-described offenses, as determined by the circuit solicitor. However, the provisions of this item may not be construed to include an offense enumerated in Section 56-5-2930 or Section 56-5-2933.
(D) A person's participation in an alcohol education program does not prevent his participation in a pretrial intervention program pursuant to the provisions and conditions of Article 1.
SECTION 17-22-530. Disposition of alcohol-related offense on completion of program.
(A) When a person successfully completes an alcohol education program, the circuit solicitor shall effect a noncriminal disposition, as defined in this chapter, of the alcohol-related offense, and there must be no record maintained of the alcohol-related offense except by the Commission on Prosecution Coordination in order to ensure that a person does not benefit from the provisions of this article more than once.
(C) If a person violates the conditions of an alcohol education program, the person may be terminated from the program and the alcohol-related offense reinstated by the circuit solicitor in the appropriate municipality or county.
SECTION 17-22-540. Office of Alcohol Education Program Coordinator.
Each circuit solicitor may establish an Office of Alcohol Education Program Coordinator whose responsibility is to assist in the establishment and maintenance of the alcohol education program.
A person shall pay a two-hundred-fifty-dollar fee to enroll in an alcohol education program. All fees must be deposited into a special circuit solicitor's fund for operation of the alcohol education program. In cases when the solicitor contracts with education and supervision providers, the person also may be subject to additional fees payable to the provider of these services. However, participation in an alcohol education program may not be denied due to a person's inability to pay these fees. If a person is deemed unable to pay, the fees for enrollment, education, and supervision services may be waived or reduced at the discretion of each solicitor.
Each circuit solicitor shall submit to the Commission on Prosecution Coordination necessary identifying information on each enrollee for the creation and maintenance of a list of enrollees in alcohol education programs. This list is to be used by the commission for the sole purpose of complying with Section 17-22-520(A) and (B). The information maintained by the commission may be released only to a circuit solicitor for the purpose of determining eligibility for an alcohol education program.
SECTION 17-22-710. Establishing unit; fee schedule; administrative costs; disbursement of funds collected.
(3) one hundred fifty dollars for checks one thousand one dollars or greater.
(B) An amount equal to the allowable administrative costs contained in Section 34-11-70(c) must be added to the fee. All fees collected by the Worthless Check Unit in accordance with the fee schedule promulgated pursuant to this section must be deposited into a fund known as the Worthless Check Fund maintained by the county treasurers of the counties comprising the circuit, other than court costs and an amount equal to the allowable administrative costs contained in Section 34-11-70(c) which must be remitted to the treasurer for deposit in the county general fund. All funds collected and deposited into this fund must be applied first to defray the costs of operating the Worthless Check Unit with the balance to be used by the solicitor to pay the normal operating expenses of his office. Withdrawals from this account may be made only at the request of the solicitor. The funds generated pursuant to this section may not be used to reduce the amount budgeted by the county to the solicitor's office. The solicitor shall maintain an account for the purpose of collecting and disbursing restitution funds collected for the benefit of victims' worthless checks. The Worthless Check Unit shall disburse to the victim all restitution collected as a result of the original complaint filed. If the victim cannot be located after a reasonable time and diligent efforts the restitution due the victim must be transferred to the general fund of the county.
HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 353, § 2, Pt 11B, eff July 1, 2009.
SECTION 17-22-910. Applications for expungement; administration.
Section effective until December 27, 2018. See, also, Section 17-22-910 effective December 27, 2018.
(C) The provisions of this section apply retroactively to allow expungement as provided by law for each offense delineated in subsection (A) by persons convicted prior to the enactment of this section or the addition of a specific item contained in subsection (A).
HISTORY: 2009 Act No. 36, § 2, eff June 2, 2009; 2014 Act No. 276 (H.4560), § 3, eff June 9, 2014; 2015 Act No. 22 (S.133), § 1, eff June 1, 2015; 2018 Act No. 262 (H.3789), § 3, eff July 2, 2018.
Section effective December 27, 2018. See, also, Section 17-22-910 effective until December 27, 2018.
(13) any other statutory authorization.
HISTORY: 2009 Act No. 36, § 2, eff June 2, 2009; 2014 Act No. 276 (H.4560), § 3, eff June 9, 2014; 2015 Act No. 22 (S.133), § 1, eff June 1, 2015; 2018 Act No. 254 (H.3209), § 1, eff December 27, 2018; 2018 Act No. 262 (H.3789), § 3, eff July 2, 2018.
At the direction of the Code Commissioner, the amendments to (A) made by 2018 Act No. 254 and 2018 Act No. 262 were read together and renumbered appropriately.
SECTION 17-22-920. Direction of expungement process inquiries to county solicitor's office.
The clerk of court shall direct all inquiries concerning the expungement process to the corresponding solicitor's office to make application for expungement.
HISTORY: 2009 Act No. 36, § 2, eff June 2, 2009.
SECTION 17-22-930. Obtaining and mandatory use of expungement form.
A person applying to expunge a criminal record shall obtain the appropriate blank expungement order form from the solicitor's office in the judicial circuit where the charge originated. The use of this form is mandatory and to the exclusion of all other expungement forms.
SECTION 17-22-940. Fees; establishment of expungement process; requirements and duties of solicitor and SLED.
Section effective until December 27, 2018. See, also, Section 17-22-940 effective December 27, 2018.
(A) In exchange for an expungement service that is provided by the solicitor's office, the applicant is responsible for payment to the solicitor's office of an administrative fee in the amount of two hundred fifty dollars per individual order, which must be retained by that office and used to defray the costs associated with the expungement process, except as provided in subsection (B). The two hundred fifty dollar fee is nonrefundable, regardless of whether the offense is later determined to be statutorily ineligible for expungement or the solicitor or his designee does not consent to the expungement.
(B) Any person who applies to the solicitor's office for an expungement of general sessions charges pursuant to Section 17-1-40 is exempt from paying the administrative fee, unless the charge that is the subject of the expungement request was dismissed, discharged, or nolle prossed as part of a plea arrangement under which the defendant pled guilty and was sentenced on other charges.
(E) In cases when charges are sought to be expunged pursuant to Section 17-22-150(a), 17-22-530(a), 22-5-910, 44-53-450(b), or 17-22-1010, the circuit pretrial intervention director, alcohol education program director, traffic education program director, South Carolina Youth Challenge Academy director, or summary court judge shall attest by signature on the application to the eligibility of the charge for expungement before either the solicitor or his designee and then the circuit court judge, or the family court judge in the case of a juvenile, signs the application for expungement.
(F) SLED shall verify and document that the criminal charges in all cases, except in cases when charges are sought to be expunged pursuant to Section 17-1-40, are appropriate for expungement before the solicitor or his designee, and then a circuit court judge, or a family court judge in the case of a juvenile, signs the application for expungement. If the expungement is sought pursuant to Section 34-11-90(e), Section 22-5-910, Section 22-5-920, or Section 56-5-750(f), the conviction for any traffic-related offense which is punishable only by a fine or loss of points will not be considered as a bar to expungement.
(1) SLED shall receive a twenty-five dollar certified check or money order from the solicitor or his designee on behalf of the applicant made payable to SLED for each verification request, except that no verification fee may be charged when an expungement is sought pursuant to Section 17-1-40, 17-22-150(a), or 44-53-450(b). SLED then shall forward the necessary documentation back to the solicitor's office involved in the process.
(H) Each expungement order may contain only one charge sought to be expunged, except in those circumstances when expungement is sought for multiple charges occurring out of a single incident and subject to expungement pursuant to Section 17-1-40 or 17-22-150(a). Only in those circumstances may more than one charge be included on a single application for expungement and, when applicable, only one two hundred fifty-dollar fee, one twenty-five dollar SLED verification fee, and one thirty-five dollar clerk of court filing fee may be charged.
(I) A filing fee may not be charged by the clerk's office to an applicant seeking the expungement of a criminal record pursuant to Section 17-1-40, when the charge was discharged, dismissed, nolle prossed, or the applicant was acquitted.
(J) Nothing in this article precludes an applicant from retaining counsel to apply to the solicitor's office on his behalf or precludes retained counsel from initiating an action in circuit court seeking a judicial determination of eligibility when the solicitor, in his discretion, does not consent to the expungement. In either event, retained counsel is responsible to the solicitor or his designee, when applicable, for the two hundred fifty-dollar fee, the twenty-five dollar SLED verification fee, and the thirty-five dollar clerk of court filing fee which must be paid by retained counsel's client.
(K) The solicitor or his designee has the discretion to waive the two hundred fifty-dollar fee only in those cases when it is determined that a person has been falsely accused of a crime as a result of identity theft.
HISTORY: 2009 Act No. 36, § 2, eff June 2, 2009; 2014 Act No. 276 (H.4560), § 4, eff June 9, 2014; 2018 Act No. 262 (H.3789), § 4, eff July 2, 2018.
Section effective December 27, 2018. See, also, Section 17-22-940 effective until December 27, 2018.
(A) In exchange for the expungement service that is provided by the solicitor's office, the applicant is responsible for payment to the solicitor's office of an administrative fee in the amount of two hundred fifty dollars per individual order, which must be retained by that office to defray the costs associated with the expungement process except as provided in items (1) and (2). The two hundred fifty dollar fee is nonrefundable, regardless of whether the offense is later determined to be statutorily ineligible for expungement or the solicitor or his designee does not consent to the expungement.
(D) In cases when charges are sought to be expunged pursuant to Section 17-22-150(a), 17-22-530(A), 17-22-330(A), 22-5-910, or 44-53-450(b), or 17-22-1010, the circuit pretrial intervention director, alcohol education program director, traffic education program director, South Carolina Youth Challenge Academy director, or summary court judge shall attest by signature on the application to the eligibility of the charge for expungement before either the solicitor or his designee and then the circuit court judge, or the family court judge in the case of a juvenile, signs the application for expungement.
(K) Each solicitor's office shall maintain a record of all fees collected related to the expungement of criminal records, which must be made available to the Chairmen of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. Those records shall remain confidential otherwise.
HISTORY: 2009 Act No. 36, § 2, eff June 2, 2009; 2014 Act No. 276 (H.4560), § 4, eff June 9, 2014; 2018 Act No. 254 (H.3209), § 6, eff December 27, 2018; 2018 Act No. 262 (H.3789), § 4, eff July 2, 2018.
At the direction of the Code Commissioner, the amendments made by 2018 Act No. 254 and 2018 Act No. 262 were read together.
SECTION 17-22-950. Summary court expungement orders; removal of Internet-based public records; objections; forms.
(A) If criminal charges are brought in a summary court, the accused person is found not guilty or the charges are dismissed or nolle prossed, and the accused person was fingerprinted for the charges, the summary court, at no cost to the accused person, immediately shall issue an order to expunge the criminal records, including any associated bench warrants, of the accused person unless the dismissal of the charges occurs at a preliminary hearing or the accused person has charges pending in summary court and a court of general sessions and the charges arise out of the same course of events. Upon issuance of the order, the summary court shall obtain and verify the presence of all necessary signatures and provide copies of the completed expungement order to all governmental agencies which must receive the order, including, but not limited to, the arresting law enforcement agency; the detention facility or jail; the solicitor's office; the clerk of court, but only in cases in which the charges were appealed to the circuit court or remanded to the summary court from general sessions court; the summary court where the arrest or bench warrants originated; the summary court that was involved in any way in the criminal process of the charges or bench warrants; and SLED.
(B) If criminal charges are brought in a summary court, the accused person is found not guilty or the charges are dismissed or nolle prossed, and the person was not fingerprinted for the charges, the accused person may apply to the summary court, at no cost to the accused person, for an order to expunge the criminal records, including any associated bench warrants, of the accused person unless the dismissal of the charges occurs at a preliminary hearing or the accused person has charges pending in summary court and a court of general sessions and the charges arise out of the same course of events. Upon application, and after verification that the charges are appropriate for expungement, the summary court shall issue an order to expunge the criminal records, obtain and verify all necessary signatures, and provide copies of the completed expungement order to the arresting law enforcement agency and all summary courts that were involved in the criminal process of the charges. The summary court is not required to provide copies of the completed expungement order to SLED.
(C) An expungement pursuant to this section must occur no sooner than the appeal expiration date and no later than thirty days after the appeal expiration date.
(D) A summary court shall provide a copy of a completed expungement order issued pursuant to this section to the applicant or the applicant's counsel of record. The copy must be certified or marked with the court's raised seal.
(E) Criminal charges must be removed pursuant to this section from all Internet-based public records no later than thirty days from the disposition date, regardless of whether the accused person applies to the summary court for expungement pursuant to subsection (B). All other criminal records must be destroyed or retained pursuant to the provisions of Section 17-1-40.
(F) A prosecution or law enforcement agency may file an objection to a summary court expungement. If an objection is filed, the expungement must be heard by the judge of a general sessions court. The prosecution's or law enforcement agency's reason for objecting must be that the accused person has other charges pending or the charges are not eligible for expungement. The prosecution or law enforcement agency shall notify the accused person of the objection. The notice must be given in writing at the most current address on file with the summary court, or through the accused person's attorney, no later than thirty days after the accused person is found not guilty or the accused person's charges are dismissed or nolle prossed.
(G) The Office of Court Administration shall provide uniform application forms to be used for expungements pursuant to this section.
HISTORY: 2009 Act No. 36, § 2, eff June 2, 2009; 2014 Act No. 276 (H.4560), § 5, eff June 9, 2014; 2016 Act No. 132 (S.255), § 3, eff May 16, 2016.
SECTION 17-22-960. Expungement; employer immunity.
Any employer that employs a worker who has had an expungement shall not, at any time, be subject to any administrative or legal claim or cause of action related to the worker's expunged offense. Except for criminal justice agencies, employers shall not use expunged information adversely against an employee. No information related to an expungement shall be used or introduced as evidence in any administrative or legal proceeding involving negligent hiring, negligent retention, or similar claims.
HISTORY: 2018 Act No. 254 (H.3209), § 7, eff December 27, 2018.
SECTION 17-22-1010. Completion of South Carolina Youth Challenge Academy and the South Carolina Jobs Challenge Program; expungement; records.
(A) A person who is eligible for expungement of his criminal record pursuant to the provisions of Sections 22-5-910, 22-5-920, 34-11-90(e), and 56-5-750(F) may apply to have his record expunged pursuant to the procedures provided in Article 9 if he graduates and successfully completes the South Carolina Youth Challenge Academy and the South Carolina Jobs Challenge Program administered by the South Carolina Army National Guard. Notwithstanding another provision of law, such person may apply for expungement immediately upon graduation and successful completion of the South Carolina Youth Challenge Academy and the South Carolina Jobs Challenge Program.
(B) If the person has had no other conviction during the approximately one-year period as provided in subsection (A), the circuit court may issue an order expunging the records including any associated bench warrant. No person may have his records expunged under this section more than once.
(C) If the expungement order is granted by the court, the records must be destroyed or retained by any law enforcement agency or municipal, county, or state agency or department pursuant to the provisions of Section 17-1-40.
(D) The effect of the expungement order is to restore the person, in the contemplation of the law, to the status he occupied before the arrest or indictment or information. No person as to whom the order has been entered may be held pursuant to another provision of law to be guilty of perjury or otherwise giving a false statement by reason of his failure to recite or acknowledge the arrest, or indictment or information, or trial in response to an inquiry made of him for any purpose.
(E) After the expungement, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is required to keep a nonpublic record of the offense and the date of the expungement to ensure that no person takes advantage of the rights of this section more than once. This nonpublic record is not subject to release pursuant to Section 34-11-95, the Freedom of Information Act, or any other provision of law except to those authorized law or court officials who need to know this information in order to prevent the rights afforded by this section from being taken advantage of more than once.
(F) As used in this section, "conviction" includes a guilty plea, a plea of nolo contendere, or the forfeiting of bail.
HISTORY: 2018 Act No. 262 (H.3789), § 2, eff July 2, 2018.
(1) "Criminal risk factors" means characteristics and behaviors that, when addressed or changed, affect a person's risk for committing crimes. The characteristics may include, but not be limited to, the following risk and criminogenic need factors: antisocial behavior patterns; criminal personality; antisocial attitudes, values, and beliefs; poor impulse control; criminal thinking; substance abuse; criminal associates; dysfunctional family or marital relationships; or low levels of employment or education.
(2) "Evidence-based practices" means supervision policies, procedures, and practices that scientific research demonstrates reduce recidivism among individuals on probation, parole, or post-correctional supervision.
HISTORY: 2010 Act No. 273, § 56, eff January 1, 2011.
SECTION 17-22-1120. Diversion program data and reporting.
(A) In addition to the information collected and processed by the Office of Pretrial Intervention Coordinator within the Commission on Prosecution Coordination pursuant to Articles 1, 3, 5, and 7, Chapter 22, Title 17, the Office of Pretrial Intervention Coordinator shall be responsible for collecting data on all programs administered by a circuit solicitor, the Commission on Prosecution Coordination, or a court, which divert offenders from prosecution to an alternative program or treatment.
(B) This shall include programs administered by circuit solicitors, which are either statutorily mandated or established by judicial order, and shall include, but are not limited to: alcohol education programs; drug courts for adults or juveniles; traffic education programs; worthless checks units; pretrial intervention; mental health courts; or juvenile arbitration.
(C) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 17-22-130, 17-22-360, 17-22-370, or 17-22-560, the Office of Pretrial Intervention Coordinator shall collect and make available for public inspection an annual report on the numbers of individuals who apply for a diversion program, the number of individuals who begin a diversion program or treatment, the number of individuals who successfully complete a program or treatment within a twelve-month period, the number of individuals who do not successfully complete a program or treatment within the same twelve-month period, but who are still participating in the program or treatment, the number of individuals who did not complete the program within the twelve-month period and who have been prosecuted for the offense committed, and the number of individuals with fees fully or partially waived for indigence. The data collected and made available for public inspection shall be listed by each county, by each program or treatment, and the offense originally committed, but shall not contain any identifying information of the participant.
(D) A copy of the report shall be sent to the Sentencing Reform Oversight Committee for evaluation of the diversion programs and treatments being administered in the State by the circuit solicitors or a court, the effectiveness of each program, and to ascertain the need for additional programs, program modifications, or repeal of existing programs. In evaluating the programs and treatments, the Sentencing Reform Oversight Committee may request information on the evidence-based practices used in each program or treatment to identify offender risks and needs, and the specific interventions employed in each program or treatment to identify criminal risk factors and reduce recidivism.

References: § 2
 § 3
 § 4
 § 1
 § 1
 § 5
 § 7
 § 2
 § 2
 § 6
 § 1
 § 1
 § 3
 § 3
 § 4
 § 17
 § 4
 § 7
 § 4
 § 5
 § 22
 § 8
 § 2
 § 5
 § 6
 § 9
 § 6
 § 7
 § 10
 § 3
 § 3
 § 6
 § 3
 § 19
 § 19
 § 11
 § 7
 § 8
 § 12
 § 4
 § 1
 § 8
 § 9
 § 1
 § 13
 § 9
 § 10
 § 14
 § 5
 § 10
 § 11
 § 15
 § 17
 § 16
 § 6
 § 11
 § 12
 § 12
 § 13
 § 2
 § 2
 § 1
 § 14
 § 2
 § 2
 § 2
 § 3
 § 1
 § 3
 § 2
 § 3
 § 1
 § 1
 § 3
 § 2
 § 2
 § 4
 § 4
 § 2
 § 4
 § 6
 § 4
 § 2
 § 5
 § 3
 § 7
 § 2
 § 56