What a waste of taxpayer's time and I do not believe this did not cost us taxpayers any money. This is what you get when you have government people who were educated in the government school systems. These people lack any common sense at all.
COLUMBIA --- The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles tried to suspend a motorist's license 12 years after he was convicted of driving under the influence, which the state Supreme Court ruled was unfair last week.
In 1993, Charles R. Hipp III, a South Carolina college student, was arrested while celebrating St. Patrick's day in Savannah, Ga. He paid fines to the state and thought the matter was closed, according to his attorney, Michael Timbes.
But in November 2005, the South Carolina DMV received notice of the conviction from a Georgia court, spokeswoman Beth Parks said. When the department tried to suspend Mr. Hipp's license for one year, the matter went to court, and a circuit court in Charleston ruled against the DMV. The agency appealed to the state Supreme Court and lost.
But why did the DMV pursue a penalty for a crime that happened 12 years ago?
Ms. Parks said the statute doesn't set any time limit for imposing the mandatory license suspension.
"The DMV is compelled to follow the statute," she said.
As for how 12 years passed before the matter was taken up, Mr. Timbes said it would be difficult to pinpoint which government office in Georgia let his client's case fall through the cracks.
"Nobody knows what led to it. I don't know. My client doesn't know," he said.
Mr. Timbes said the courts ruled fairly.
"You're a very different person when you're an adult and professional and being a responsible person in the community, versus a situation where you were young and made a mistake," he said.
In South Carolina, someone convicted of a DUI for the first time loses driving privileges for six months. Mr. Timbes said his client had faced a one-year suspension because prosecutors sought to include a subsequent DUI conviction from 1996.
As for the cost of the legal fees involved with taking the case all the way to the Supreme Court, Ms. Parks said there was no additional cost to the taxpayer because the DMV's in-house staff handled the case.
Reach Sarita Chourey at (803) 727-4257 or sarita.chourey@morris.com.
Comments
What a waste of taxpayer's time and I do not believe this did not cost us taxpayers any money. This is what you get when you have government people who were educated in the government school systems. These people lack any common sense at all.
Yeah, it is a waste of our money. The DMV shoulda followed proper procedure and suspend the license for 183 days. Sad.
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