By Heather Ruppe
A Colleton County Magistrate has been arrested for drunk driving, with his blood alcohol level at twice the legal limit.
Kenneth A. Campbell, Jr., 65, was arrested for DUI mid-afternoon on July 17th, 2022.
According to a Walterboro Police Department report, a Walterboro police officer spotted Campbell driving in Green Pond Highway and South Jefferies Boulevard. The officer claimed that Campbell was “swerving” and was not staying in his lane. When he was pulled over, Campbell was found to be intoxicated and was charged. He was taken to the Colleton County Detention Center, where he was booked for Driving Under the Influence.
His bond information states his Blood Alcohol Content was .16 or greater: a person is considered legally intoxicated in South Carolina at .08. He was issued a $992.00 Personal Recognizance bond on July 17th.
Campbell is a magistrate in Colleton County. He was sworn into office June 2022. He was appointed to his four-year-term by S.C. Governor Henry McMaster, with the approval of the S.C. Senate. In South Carolina, the Magistrate’s Court is also known as the Summary Court, where magistrates oversee criminal courts and offenses for all offenses that carry sentences of up to 30 days in jail or up to a $500 fine. This is not General Sessions Court, which carries higher sentences for those found guilty.
Magistrates in Colleton County can hold bond hearing, set bail, conduct preliminary hearings, criminal cases, and traffic court cases.
This newspaper reached out to the Colleton County Magistrate’s Court for comment on Campbell’s arrest. However, that call was not returned to this newspaper, as of press deadline on Tuesday morning.
