Latest news with #14thCircuitSolicitor'sOffice
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
Bluffton man who killed 4-month-old while drunk driving sentenced
BLUFFTON, S.C. (WSAV) — A Bluffton man who crashed his vehicle while under the influence and killed a four-month-old has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, the 14th Solicitor's Office said. Gregorio Hernandez-Castillo pleaded guilty Tuesday, April 1, in Beaufort County General Sessions Court to driving under the influence resulting in death. The infant, who was not properly restrained in her child seat, was killed in the May 2024 wreck. Hernandez-Castillo and two other passengers were traveling east on Bluffton Parkway when he lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree. The South Carolina Highway Patrol investigated the wreck and initially faced charges of Felony DUI, Child Passenger Restraint System Article Violation, Open Container In A Motor Vehicle and Driving Without A License. Hernandez-Castillo affirmed that he was the driver and that he was driving about 60 mph in a 45-mph speed zone. He failed a field sobriety test and was found to have a blood-alcohol content of 0.18 about an hour and a half after the crash. Hernandez-Castillo also pleaded guilty as indicted to child endangerment and driving under suspension. He must pay $10,100 in restitution in addition to the sentence. 'This defendant has a history of drunken and irresponsible driving,' said Deputy Solicitor Mary Jordan Lempesis of the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office, who prosecuted the case. 'Tragically, an infant has now paid with her life for Mr. Hernandez-Castillo's disregard for the law.' The office added that Hernandez-Castillo was previously convicted in South Carolina for driving under the influence (DUI) and driving under suspension. He also was convicted of DUI in Georgia. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Solicitor requests budget hike to speed up slow justice system
BEAUFORT, S.C. (WSAV) — The 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office is asking Beaufort County to double its budget next year. While it seems to be a significant change, Solicitor Duffie Stone told WSAV that it could be a game changer for the area and the court system. 'You have to have the resources to carry out the process. and we have about half of the resources we need to finish the job,' said Stone. Solicitor Duffie Stone's job is to protect victims and prosecute criminals but that process has been slow since before the COVID Pandemic. The office currently has more than 3,800 active cases, the majority of which are nearly two years old. That's why he is asking Beaufort County Council for $1.7 million dollars more in the next budget. The money goes to hiring more lawyers and getting the system moving faster. 'I want one day to be able to stand in front of the jury and say, ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to tell you what happened several months ago instead of what happened two years ago,' said Stone. That's why he is asking Beaufort County Council for $1.7 million dollars more in the next budget. The money will go to hiring more lawyers and getting the system moving faster. 'It's not unusual at all for prosecutors to be carrying a caseload of three, four and 500 cases apiece.' Stone instituted a system for the cases coming into his office that works. 70% of those cases have been cleared within a year. To knock down that backlog, more people are needed and more money to keep the attorneys in place who know how to prosecute those cases. 'You've got to give them a living salary, a salary that allows them to raise a family and send kids to college. number two, to give them a job in which it's fulfilling,' Stone said. 'It's something that's important that they enjoy but in which they are not overwhelmed.' Beaufort County has appropriated $5 less than the state average per case. Stone says the money he is asking for would go directly to public defenders and prosecutors directly to trying to clear cases. 'This is an opportunity for us to create an efficient process and a court system in which victims have a speedy trial or speedy disposition of their case,' said Stone. 'I think victims deserve that.' Jasper County has already listened to the solicitor's request and increased their cost per warrant, and the Colleton County Council is expected to do the same in the next few weeks. The Beaufort County Council is debating all budget requests now and the public should know more early next month. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
