Atlantic Beach Mayor Retha Pierce charged with DUI, released on bond
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Atlantic Beach Mayor Retha Pierce arrested
The South Carolina Highway Patrol has taken Atlantic Beach Mayor Retha Pierce into custody.
Patricia Burkett/News 13
Atlantic Beach Mayor Retha Pierce in court Thursday morning for a bond hearing.
Published: September 16, 2009
Updated: September 17, 2009
MARION — Atlantic Beach Mayor Retha Pierce has been released on a PR bond and fined $1025 for driving under the influence in Marion County.
Lance Cpl. Sonny Collins with the S.C. Highway Patrol said Pierce was pulled over around 3:50 p.m. Wednesday. The SCHP received a call from a concerned motorist reporting another driver driving erratically. Collins said this happened along Highway 501 in Marion County.
Collins said Pierce was taken to the Marion County Detention Center, where she was booked for DUI.
Pierce told reporters as she was leaving tghe Marion County Detention Center, “I do not drink and I have been falsely arrested.“
In July, a judge continued a separate case against Pierce until a trial date could be set.
Pierce appeared in magistrate court to face four pending charges for resisting arrest, unlawful turning, trespassing, and public disorderly conduct. She entered a plea of not guilty on the charges.
Pierce was expected in court in Myrtle Beach for those charges Thursday morning.
Atlantic Beach Police Chief Randy Rizzo told News13 his department will plan to move forward even though Pierce will not be there.
Chief Rizzo said a judge in all likelihood would issue another continuance.
Pierce was arrested and charged with one count of hit and run and leaving the scene of an accident in April.
She is scheduled to return to Marion County on October 6th for her DUI hearing.
Stay with scnow.com, News 13 and the Morning News for more on this developing story.
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Reader Reactions
In America we spend Billions every year to perform Psychiatric evaluations on prisoners so that they get placed in the proper facility for their own Safety and Welfare. How much do we spend on the people that we entrust to run our Cities, State and Nation?
I do not condone what Governor Sanford or Joe Wilson has done but they have not put my family and other innocent peoples lives in danger, however; Retha Pierce has. If something is not done to stop her she could kill someone eventually and it could be your family, would you think so much of her then? She always has an excuse and I get sick of public officials getting away with this sort of behavior it needs to be stopped!!! If it were me I would be under the jail by now!!!!
Pierce and Robinson are a disgrace to a public office and definitely should be shipped off!
Pillar32, please don’t get defensive, We are not the ones that are making bad decisions for you.
To reddog and darkknight, you support who you want and I will support whom I want. And Mark Sanford should be removed and Joe Wilson will not go any higher then the little position that he has now! Deal with the facts people.
Pillar32 get back under your rock and hide.
You are making yourself look really dumb saying that
Ok, if she wasn’t drunk, what “DRUG” was she on?
DUI is driving under the influence. I will say that if you were not drinking then obviously, you were under the influence of something. Marion County (like the rest of the country) could not afford a lawsuit for wrongfully charging you in this matter.
ALSO, Piller32, have you been keeping up with this woman? Have you seen the videos of what happened the last time she was arrested?
I would bet money that there is an underlying mental illness because she so paranoid to think the world is after her.
I suspect that when this woman finally kills someone on the road - she will say her famous words, “I was framed”.
When I saw this story on the news, and she stated that she wasn’t drunk….I immediately said, yeah right, a police officer is going to arrest you for a DUI without a breathalizer.
What a joke!
I don’t think that Mrs. Pierce is being targeted at all. Her problems are self-induced and she should be accountable for her own behavior. As far as respect being due - who can respect this woman? Who does this woman think that she is? She is an elected official that is only interested in her own self-being!
This woman is a not a person to have in a position as mayor! She should be removed ASAP! You voters in Atlantic Beach need to realize that Mrs. Pierce’s behavior will not get better -but worse. Will it take her taking an innocent person’s life on the highway to get this woman off the roads? Then what will be in coming in the future?
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