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Subcommittee approves bill allowing solicitors discretion to re-admit defendants to PTI after 20 years
Summary
H.4720 would let an elected solicitor, at their discretion, admit an otherwise eligible person into pretrial intervention a second time after a 20-year period; the subcommittee received testimony raising confidentiality questions and reported the bill favorable.
Representative Seth Rose, a sponsor of H.4720, told the Criminal Law Subcommittee the bill would permit an elected solicitor to place an individual into the Pretrial Intervention (PTI) program a second time after 20 years if the person otherwise meets eligibility requirements. Rose emphasized the bill preserves prosecutorial discretion and does not mandate PTI for anyone.
Lisa Catalanado, executive director of the South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination, testified neither for nor against the bill but flagged a confidentiality issue the commission discussed: participation in PTI is private under current statute and accessible largely within solicitor offices; the commission raised questions about how a second participation would be recorded, who would be able to see that record and whether the existing confidentiality scheme would need adjustment.
Representatives on the committee discussed the policy as an additional tool for prosecutors to resolve cases, with Representative Robbie Robbins describing how people who committed minor offenses decades earlier might benefit. Members repeatedly stressed the measure does not change the PTI eligibility list and that solicitors retain ultimate discretion.
After discussion the committee ordered a roll call; the clerk recorded "Aye" votes for Chairman Johnson, Representative Bailey, Representative Robbins and Representative Rose and reported the bill favorable to the full committee. The transcript contains committee discussion and testimony but does not include statutory drafting language or an explicit implementation plan for confidentiality concerns; those details should be obtained from bill text and the commission.
