Atlantic Beach mayor Retha Pierce appeared in a Little River courtroom Tuesday to enter a plea of not guilty on charges that she was trespassing and being disorderly inside town hall in January.
Pierce told the judge that she wanted a change in venue and that she would represent herself in the case.
Horry County Chief Magistrate Gerald Whitley told Pierce he would grant her request for a jury to hear her case, but that he could not grant the change in venue until her case was before her trial judge.
On Jan. 28, Atlantic Beach Police arrested Pierce after she went to town hall and started arguments with town officials two days in a row, according to Chief Randy Rizzo.
Pierce said on Jan. 26, she and town manager Kenneth McIver agreed to meet the following day about setting an office up inside town hall.
On Jan. 27, Pierce said she went to town hall for her scheduled meeting with McIver, but ran into Councilwoman Charlene Taylor inside town hall and an argument ensued over boxes and file cabinets piled inside the office Pierce said was set aside for her.
Cell phone video shot by Atlantic Beach Police of the argument showed Taylor and Pierce in a heated argument that at one point caused Rizzo to step in and hold Pierce back.
Police broke up the argument and both sides went their separate ways, according to police.
The next day police said Pierce returned to town hall, argued with town employees again and was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing after being told to leave multiple times, according to police.
Horry County Police arrested and charged Pierce with resisting arrest and reckless driving on Dec. 25, 2007 after officer Robert Dale pulled Pierce over near Little River.
A Horry County jury could not reach a verdict in the case in October, with five jurors voting to convict, and one juror deciding Pierce was not guilty.
Pierce is awaiting a new trial on the 2007 charges.
Pierce filed a federal lawsuit against five town employees, including Chief Rizzo, town manager Kenneth McIver, mayor pro-tem Charlene Taylor, town clerk Cheryl Pereira, and former interim town manager Charles Williams.
The federal suit seeks damages in connection to the arrest and what Pierce calls a “coup” she claims town leaders staged against her.
As of this posting, there are no trial dates set on either of Pierce’s upcoming trials.
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