Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Atlantic Beach Mayor Retha Pierce suspended

Gov. Mark Sanford has suspended Atlantic Beach Mayor Retha Pierce after she was indicted Thursday by an Horry County grand jury on a charge related to an April hit-and-run incident.

In an executive order issued Friday, Sanford said that Pierce is suspended immediately until she is formally aquitted or convicted.

Sanford suspended Pierce because she was indicted by a grand jury for what is deemed a crime of moral turpitude. Pierce was indicted on a charge of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.

Pierce could not be reached for comment Friday after news of her suspension.When reached Friday before the suspension she said, "They have succeeded at what they set out to do, which is to frame me. I just want my fellow constitutes to stay encourage because I will still stand for them.

"The title means nothing for me. I had to run three times for it. I'm not surprised.

"I shall stand and I shall continue to stand. They said I was in their way. They wanted to slander me and do whatever they could to break me. They have succeeded in what they set out to do in trying to show that I am guilty of what I was not.''

Pierce's suspension came two days after another Atlantic Beach official, Police Chief Randy Rizzo, was suspended after his arrest by Horry County police outside a pool hall on a charge of public disorderly/public intoxication. Rizzo said he had "too many beers."

Atlantic Beach Town Councilman Donnell Thompson said Pierce's suspension was unfortunate, but also a call for the town to move on.

"I think it's unfortunate when anything like this has to take place, but I'm sure Sanford did what he thought what he needed to do from where he sits," Thompson said. Councilwoman Josephine Isom declined to comment. Mayor Pro Tem Charlene Taylor and Jake Evans couln't be reached Friday.

Taylor will fill in for Pierce during the suspension, said town manager William Booker.

Taylor is up for re-election in Tuesday's town council elections.

In the event she does not win, she will remain in the position through her current term this year. According to an Atlantic Beach police incident report in Pierce's incident, a white Chevrolet Trailblazer side-swiped another vehicle on U.S. 17 inside the town limits at 1 p.m. April 10. Immediately after the crash, the sport utility vehicle stopped and an "unknown subject" got out, examined the damage, then got back in and drove away. Several witnesses there told police that Pierce was the driver, the report states.

When officers found Pierce later, they saw damage to the front of her SUV and paint chips that matched the color of the car she is alleged to have hit, authorities said.

"I plan to stand while they continue to carry out this bogus charge against me. I did not leave the scene. I stopped. The other car that hit me stopped at another location. My understanding was the person didn't want to press charges or pursue it," Pierce said.

The indictment is among four criminal cases against Pierce in the last 22 months.

In December 2007, she was charged with resisting arrest during a traffic stop.

In February, Pierce was arrested on a trespassing charge at town hall after allegedly refusing police orders to leave during an argument with staff. She has requested a jury trial in that case, and meanwhile sued town officials over it, calling it part of their conspiracy to discredit her as mayor.

On September 16, Pierce was charged with misdemeanor DUI after a traffic stop on U.S. 501 in Marion County.

Ten days later, Atlantic Beach Town Council members passed a resolution to request that Sanford remove Pierce from office.

"My head is bloodied but not unbowed. I thank my supporters and many have looked at this and known that it is not justice," Pierce said. "My greatest crime has been to win the mayor's race in Atlantic Beach against incumbent Irene Armstrong. My greatest crime was winning that election and wanting to help the people and that town."

Staff writer Monique Newton contributed to this report.