| Municipal Court Location
1255 Yeamans Hall Road
Hanahan, South Carolina 29410
Office number: (843) 576-5262
Fax number: (843) 576-5273
Upcoming Events
TRAFFIC/CRIMINAL COURT .
Traffic/Criminal Court is held every Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in the Municipal Court room. The public is always invited to observe. Please look at the City calendar for upcoming Jury Trial dates.
If you would like information regarding observing our court proceedings, feel free to contact Ms. Dollar at 843-576-5262.
Staff
Chief Judge
M. Victor Revelise
843-554-4221, ext 139
Associate Judge
D. Mark Stokes
843-554-4221, ext 139
Clerk of Court
Gale Dollar
gdollar@cityofhanahan.com
843-576-5262
Deputy Clerk of Court
Chris Baker
cbaker@cityofhanahan.com
843-576-5263
Deputy Clerk of Court
Rose Fillingame
rfillingame@cityofhanahan.com
843-576-5264
Court Bailiff
Tony Martin
City Prosecutor
David Aylor
david@davidaylor.com
843-577-5530
The Municipal Court Division is responsible for the management and proper administration of court operations.
The Municipal Court Division provides:
- administrative support to the judicial arm of the court
- case docketing
- case management
- alternative sentence monitoring
- court fines collection
- court fine and case load reporting
Municipal Court judges and staff ensure citizens and users of the court receive efficient, fair and impartial justice, regardless of individual circumstances and background, in order to protect each citizen's right to due process under the laws of our country and state.
Court Proceedings If you have been arrested by a police officer and ordered to appear in either a Municipal Court or have been issued a Summons for a traffic offense or other minor offense, you should appear at the time stated on the Summons or Arrest Warrant.
If you fail to appear in Court at that time, you will be tried in your absence and probably will be found guilty.
When you appear in Court, the judge will ask whether you wish to plead guilty or not guilty.
If you wish to plead guilty, the proceedings are relatively short. The judge will decide what sort of fine or jail sentence to impose. If you are going to plead guilty but feel like you want to be represented by lawyer, you have that right. Your lawyer should appear with you any time you go to court. If you cannot afford one, ask the judge to determine if you qualify for an appointed lawyer. If you will plead not guilty, you should explain that to the judge. You have the right to a lawyer to assist you at the trial. If you cannot afford one, ask the judge to determine if you qualify for an appointed lawyer.
You must tell the judge whether you wish to have a jury trial or to be tried only by the judge. If you wish to be tried by the judge, then the trial probably will be held immediately. The judge will ask the arresting police officer or the complaining witnesses to tell his or her side of the story. After each witness for the prosecution has testified against you, you have the right to ask each witness questions. After the prosecution testimony, you have the right to present witnesses to testify for you. You also have the right to testify for yourself, or the right not to testify.
REMEMBER: If you go to Court and plan to plead not guilty and also intend to be tried by a judge without a jury, you should have your witnesses with you when you go to Court the first time. If you think that you cannot get those witnesses to come to Court, then you should contact the judge before your Court date. Ask the judge to issue subpoenas which require your witnesses to come to court for your trial.
If you plan to ask for a jury trial, that is your right and the judge must grant you a jury trial. You should tell the judge at the first Court appearance that you wish to have a jury trial. The judge will tell you a day to come back to court to pick a jury, however some judges will select a jury on the first day you appear in Court. When you have a jury trial, the same procedure applies as was explained to you in the non-jury trial. If you are found guilty either after a jury trial or after trial by a judge, the judge will then decide what sentence to impose.
Most offenses which are tried in either Municipal Court carry fines and/or jail sentences. If the judge decides to sentence you to jail, you will have to go to jail immediately unless you immediately file a Notice of Intention to Appeal to the Circuit Court, as required by court rules.
This information was prepared to give you some general information on the law. It is not intended as legal advice about any particular problem. If you have questions about the law you should consult a lawyer. If you do not know a lawyer, you can call the South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The number is 1-800-868-2284 from other parts of the state.
Jury Trials You have a right to a trial by Jury. This may be requested prior to the date of trial in writing, by fax, United States Mail, or personal delivery.
Jury Trials are held through out the year. You will receive notification of the date and time of your trial.
Cannot Serve as a Juror? If you are OVER the age of 65, a full-time student or primary caregiver for children under the age of 7 during the day, you may be excused. If you wish to be excused for other reasons, you must notify the court and provide proof if requested to do so.
Payment Of Fines & Bonds If you have received a blue traffic citation from a Hanahan Police Officer, the case will be handled through the Municipal Court. If you do not wish to appear in court, you may post the bond amount of your ticket with the Municipal Court. Fines are due prior to the commencement of court on the assigned court date. Fine Amounts are usually written on the citation. Payment Options:
You may pay fines in person at the Municipal Court located in the Hanahan Municipal Complex at 1255 Yeamans Hall Road. Cash and Money Orders are accepted. We also accept credit cards, Mastercard, Visa and Discover. Payments will be accepted at the Clerk of Court's office during 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Credit Card payments may also be accepted over the telephone.
You may prefer to mail in your payment. Only a cashier's checks or money orders made payable to the City of Hanahan will be accepted for payment by mail. Please note: Personal checks are not accepted for payment.
Please include the original and/or copy of the tickets with your exact payment. If you do not have the ticket, be sure to include your name, ticket number (if available), court date and current mailing address. Payments should be mailed to the City of Hanahan Municipal Court, 1255 Yeamans Hall Road, Hanahan, SC 29410. Be sure to include your current mailing address, as a receipt will be mailed to you. Please allow seven (7) days for delivery. Drop Box We also have a drop box outside the court window where payments may be dropped off. This area is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you utilize the drop box, please make sure your name, ticket number (if available), court date and current mailing address is included. Questions regarding violation points
Appeals
Notice of Appeal must be delivered to the Municipal Court Clerk within 10 days after your court date. An Appeal Bond must be posted until final disposition of your Appeal hearing.
Your Notice of Appeal should contain the following information:
- citation or warrant number
- your full name
- address
- phone number
- full explanation of your reason to appeal the judge's decision
After filing your Appeal with the Municipal Court, the court will then file your Appeal along with the Judge's Return to the Court of General Sessions. You will be notified by the County Clerk's office as to your hearing for your Appeal. NOTE: When filing your Notice of Appeal with the Municipal Court, you may wish to bring a second copy to be stamped, "Received by the Court", for your records.
Motion to have Case Reopened A motion to have your case reopened must be submitted to the Court within five (5) days of your trial date.
Expungement Of Arrest An expungement of record is a process by which the records of a criminal conviction are destroyed or sealed after a certain length of time. This includes records in files, on computer, or in any other depositories. Following an expungement, it is as if the criminal case never existed in so far as the defendant is concerned.
The Hanahan Municipal Court how processes expungements of cases that were disposed of in the Municipal Court. This includes all criminal charges, including traffic, when the charges are dismissed, nolle prossed or the defendant is found not guilty, regardless of whether the arrest was custodial or noncustodial. Any case where there was any type of deferral prior to dismissal, would have to be dismissed through the Solicitor's Office. The expungement occurs no sooner than the appeal expiration date and no later than thirty days after the appeal expiration date. We do not, however, process any expungements for cases where the defendant was found guilty. These would have to be addressed with the Solicitor's Office.
The Hanahan Municipal Court is only responsible for initiating the expungement process for those charges disposed of on or after June 2, 2009.
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