The jurisdiction of a DUI case

SC Citation

The second thing we ask all potential clients is: where were they arrested?

The usual response: Charleston, right?  In reality, your ticket may have been issued by the City of Charleston, North Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Charleston County, South Carolina Highway Patrol, etc. 

What we are really asking, and what any top DUI lawyer is trying to determine, is where will the case be prosecuted.  

Jurisdiction refers to the court or venue where a case will be heard.  In the practice of DUI defense, there may be a significant difference in difficulty and cost of representation based on the jurisdiction.

Our fees usually vary, depending on the jurisdiction where that DUI was cited.  This is just one of many factors.  

Another important part of the ticket is the “trial date.”   Click to learn more about the trial date.

Review the sample Uniform Traffic Citation to the right to see the  jurisdiction of your DUI case.

If your ticket shows the “Trial Court as:

180 Lockwood Boulevard, Charleston, SC then you are in the City of Charleston Municipal Court

100 Ann Edward Lane then your ticket is in the Mt. Pleasant Municipal Court

2500 City Hall Lane, North Charleston then your case is in the North Charleston Municipal Court. 

If the address is any of the following then your case is in the a Charleston County Magistrate Court

  • 1189 Sweetgrass Basket Parkway, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464 (Judge Lynn)
  • 615 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC 29412 (Judge Rawl)
  • 4045 Bridgeview Drive, North Charleston, SC 29405 (Judge Coker)
  • 2145 Melbourne Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29405 (Judge Ganaway)
  • 7272 Cross County Road, North Charleston, SC 29418 (Judge Summey-Fuller)
  • 1527 Main Road, Johns Island, SC 29455 (Judge Linen)
  • 1720 Sam Rittenberg Blvd, Charleston, SC 29407 (Judge Steinberg)