Charges remain against Atlantic Beach councilwoman

By Jody Barr
WBTW News 13 Reporter
Published: July 17, 2008

The Atlantic Beach mayoral candidate and current council member, Retha Pierce will face a jury this month on resisting arrest charges stemming from a traffic stop in December.

An Horry County Police officer stopped Pierce Christmas night after he said she failed to signal and was driving recklessly as she swerved from lane to lane on Highway 17 near Little River.

When the officer pulled Pierce over, she tried to walk away from the officer several times after repeatedly telling him she had to use the restroom.

The officer slammed Pierce up against her van and arrested her and charged her with resisting arrest.

On April 11, prosecutors agreed to transfer the case to magistrate court to expedite the trial on the charges, according to 15th circuit solicitor, Scott Graustein.

Tuesday, Pierce told News13 that the charges against her were dropped at a hearing in Conway, but that hearing only dealt with the failure to signal charge where the county police dismissed the charge.

Tuesday’s hearing did not deal with the resisting arrest charge or the wreckless driving, both remain pending.

In February, Conway magistrate Bradley Mayers found Pierce guilty in her absence after she did not show up for her court date on the traffic charges.

Pierce told News13 in an interview following the hearing that she had requested a jury trial on the traffic charges and that she, “Was not a no-show.”

Pierce filed an appeal of the Mayers’ decision asking a circuit court judge to overturn the magistrate’s conviction on grounds that she did not need to be present because she had requested a jury trial.

That appeal remains pending awaiting a hearing in circuit court.

Prosecutors have scheduled a jury trial for the end of the month on the resisting arrest charge, which is a misdemeanor and could get Pierce up to a year in prison if convicted.