Court Opinion

ID: 9389981
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-04-26 16:08:01.126129+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:30.906154
License: Public Domain

THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
                In The Supreme Court

   Town of Sullivan's Island, Petitioner,

   v.

   Michael Murray, Respondent.

   Appellate Case No. 2021-001260

                       ______________

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE COURT OF APPEALS
                 ______________

               Appeal from Charleston County
          Kristi Lea Harrington, Circuit Court Judge
                      ______________

                    Opinion No. 28153
        Submitted April 3, 2023 – Filed April 26, 2023
                     ______________

                  AFFIRMED IN RESULT
                     ______________

   John Joseph Dodds, III, of The Law Firm of Cisa &
   Dodds, LLP, of Mt. Pleasant; and George Trenholm
   Walker and John Phillips Linton, Jr., of Walker Gressette
   Freeman & Linton, LLC, of Charleston, all for Petitioner.

   Mary Duncan Shahid, of Nexsen Pruet, LLC, and
   Stephen Peterson Groves, Sr., of Butler Snow, LLP, both
   of Charleston, for Respondent.
                       ______________

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PER CURIAM: Respondent was convicted in a municipal court bench trial of
violating Sullivan's Island Town Code sections 21-75 and 5-10 (the ordinances).
The municipal court imposed a $1040 fine as punishment. On direct appeal, the
circuit court affirmed the conviction. The court of appeals reversed, holding the
ordinances were unconstitutionally vague and failed to provide Respondent with
fair notice his actions would result in a criminal violation. In addition, the court
held the Town of Sullivan's Island failed to present evidence the dock built by
Respondent interfered with navigation or extended into the channel in violation of
the ordinance. Town of Sullivan's Island v. Murray, 435 S.C. 22, 864 S.E.2d 909
(Ct. App. 2021).

Because we agree with the court of appeals that there was no evidence Respondent
violated any provision of the ordinance, we grant the petition for a writ of certiorari
to the court of appeals, dispense with briefing, and affirm the result of the court of
appeals' opinion reversing Respondent's conviction.

AFFIRMED IN RESULT.

BEATTY, C.J., KITTREDGE, FEW, JAMES and HILL, JJ., concur.

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