Atlantic Beach mayor-elect, Retha Pierce, had a bond returnable hearing Friday morning in Conway.
Pierce, a current town councilwoman and the certified winner of the still-disputed mayor's race, turned down a plea agreement from the solicitor's office Friday, according to Pierce's attorney, Irby Walker.
Horry County police arrested Pierce on Christmas night following a traffic stop by county patrol officer, Robert Dale.
In the police car video, Pierce told Dale several times she had to use the restroom, then turned to walk away from the officer.
Pierce said several times she had to use the restroom during the traffic stop and told News13 Friday that Dale should have let her, "I needed to use the bathroom. If it had been his mother, his wife, his daughter or his girlfriend; he would have let them use the bathroom."
Dale grabs Pierce and slams her against her van as he placed handcuffs on Pierce.
Pierce said Dale used unreasonable force against her, "I am not a criminal, so are not a lot of other people criminals. I have been done unjust, but the Lord God of Israel will vindicate me in this," Pierce told News13.
Walker told News13 prosecutors offered Pierce 30 days or a $500 fine in exchange for a guilty plea on the resisting arrest charge.
Pierce said officer Dale treated her like an animal, "I am a human being so are other people human beings. I didn't deserve that and so no matter how many questions you ask me, I don't condone it."
Pierce turned the plea deal down and instead asked for a jury trial on the charge, and Walker said he got Pierce's case moved from general sessions into magistrate's court.
Walker said that would significantly reduce the amount of time Pierce could receive in jail if convicted on the charge, which is a misdemeanor offense that carries a maximum of one year in prison and up to a $1,000 fine.
The most jail time Pierce could receive in magistrate's court is 30 days at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center, according to Walker.
Walker said he and Pierce plan to file a lawsuit against the Horry County police department next week for the officers treatment toward Pierce.
Solicitor, Scott Graustien, told News13 he offered Pierce the plea based on the amount of case load in general sessions, but the charge against Pierce will not change, according to Graustien.
Graustien said it could take two to four weeks for the court to set a trial date for Pierce's magistrate's court jury trial.
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