LOCAL PROSECUTORS RECEIVE STATEWIDE RECOGNITION FOR DUI WORK

The 7th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office received statewide recognition today for its efforts to combat drunk driving.

At a statewide meeting of 300 law enforcement leaders today, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety and Mothers Against Drunk Driving recognized Solicitor Trey Gowdy and his staff for its aggressive prosecution of drunk driving and its efforts to raise community awareness.

Principal Deputy Solicitor Barry Barnette was named DUI prosecutor of the year. Barnette was honored for his dedication to the criminal justice system, his public educational outreach and his willingness to help people who have been affected by DUI. Barrnette accepted both of the awards since Solicitor Gowdy was involved in a Spartanburg murder trial.

“I’m blessed to have the best DUI prosecutors in the state,” Solicitor Gowdy said late today. “Barry literally wrote the book on how to build strong DUI cases and he partners with Zach Ellis to work one of the most challenging caseloads.

“Our current DUI law is an impossible legal labyrinth,” Gowdy added.

The awards nominations included letters of support from law enforcement and the local MADD chapter. A panel of judges representing several different disciplines in law enforcement and highway safety picked the winners.

“I do not know of another Solicitor who takes time from his extremely busy schedule to drive to Columbia and introduce new legislation that will hopefully be accepted and hopefully make our DUI statutes stronger which in turn make our highways safer,” wrote Spartanburg MADD Community Action Site Leader Anne Sellers in her letter of recommendation. “Solicitor Gowdy is striving to makes South Carolina a better and safer place to live.”

The 7th Circuit Solicitor’s Office was one of several local criminal justice agencies recognized during the annual awards ceremony. The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office received a ‘DUI Hero’ Award and DUI law enforcement agency of the year for logging 756 DUI arrests during 2006. Deputy Jason Kramer received his second consecutive DUI Officer of the Year Award. Kramer recorded 230 DUI arrests in 2006.