South Carolina Code 44-53-445. Distribution of controlled substance within proximity of school
(B) For a person to be convicted of an offense pursuant to subsection (A), the person must:
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 44-53-445
- Controlled substance: means a drug, substance, or immediate precursor in Schedules I through V in Sections 44-53-190, 44-53-210, 44-53-230, 44-53-250, and 44-53-270. See South Carolina Code 44-53-110
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Distribute: means to deliver (other than by administering or dispensing) a controlled substance. See South Carolina Code 44-53-110
- Manufacture: means the production, preparation, propagation, compounding, conversion, or processing of a controlled substance, either directly or indirectly by extraction from substances of natural origin, or independently by means of chemical synthesis, or by a combination of extraction and chemical synthesis, and includes any packaging or repackaging of the substance or labeling or relabeling of its container, except that this term does not include the preparation or compounding of a controlled substance by an individual for his own use or the preparation, compounding, packaging, or labeling of a controlled substance:
(a) by a practitioner as an incident to his administering or dispensing of a controlled substance in the course of his professional practice; or
(b) by a practitioner, or by his authorized agent under his supervision, for the purpose of, or as an incident to, research, teaching, or chemical analysis and not for sale. See South Carolina Code 44-53-110
(1) have knowledge that he is in, on, or within a one-half mile radius of the grounds of a public or private elementary, middle, or secondary school; a public playground or park; a public vocational or trade school or technical educational center; or a public or private college or university; and
(2) actually distribute, sell, purchase, manufacture, or unlawfully possess with intent to distribute, the controlled substance within a one-half mile radius of the grounds of a public or private elementary, middle, or secondary school; a public playground or park; a public vocational or trade school or technical educational center; or a public or private college or university.
(C) A person must not be convicted of an offense pursuant to subsection (A) if the person is stopped by a law enforcement officer for the controlled substance offense within a one-half mile radius of the grounds of a public or private elementary, middle, or secondary school; a public playground or park; a public vocational or trade school or technical educational center; or a public or private college or university, but did not actually commit the controlled substance offense within a one-half mile radius of the grounds of a public or private elementary, middle, or secondary school; a public playground or park; a public vocational or trade school or technical educational center; or a public or private college or university.
(D)(1) A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than ten thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
(2) When a violation involves only the purchase of a controlled substance, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
(E) For the purpose of creating inferences of intent to distribute, the inferences set out in §§ 44-53-370 and 44-53-375 apply to criminal prosecutions under this section.