Berkeley County sees success with DUI prosecutor
BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office has successfully closed more than 160 of the agency’s DUI cases through a grant-funded prosecutor.
The sheriff’s office was awarded a grant through the South Carolina Department of Public Safety to fully fund a DUI prosecutor position between October 2022 and September 2023. The funding helped the department take the position from part-time to full-time.
Before hiring a DUI prosecutor, the department said deputies represented their cases in court and were matched up against experienced DUI defense attorneys. “As a result, the criminal charges were often pled down or dropped,” the agency said.
Now, the DUI prosecutor reviews and prepares all pending alcohol and drug-related driving arrest charges made by BCSO deputies for court – they said it has accounted for successfully closing 164 of the agency’s cases, including several backlogged cases.
Tyler Jenkins, a Moncks Corner native and Berkeley High School graduate, began serving as the full-time DUI prosecutor in May 2022, bringing with him experience as an assistant solicitor for the 9th Judicial Circuit. He worked to prosecute various crimes including drug, firearm offenses, violent crime, and domestic violence. He also assisted with juvenile matters in Family Court.
“Our chief duty in law enforcement is to serve and protect our citizens. Through this grant, we have had the opportunity to better combat the serious crime of driving under the influence and more successfully prosecute DUI cases in court,” said Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis.
Sheriff Lewis said the position has allowed the department to enhance its level of safety on the street and save more lives.
