State v. Rider, 466 S.E.2d 367

Moore, Justice:

Appellant was convicted of stalking under S.C. Code Ann. § 16-3-1070 (Supp. 1994). While this appeal was ‍‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‍pending, § 16-3-1070 was expressly repealed without a saving clause and a new stalking statute was enacted redefining this crime. See 1995 S.C. Act No. 94. A conviction must be vacated if the penal ‍‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‍statute the defendant is charged with violating is repealed without a saving clause while the case is pending on appeal. State v. Spencer, 177 S.C. 346, 357-58, 181 S.E. 217 (1935).1 Accordingly, appellant’s conviction ‍‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‍is

Vacated.

Finney, C.J., and Toal, Waller, and Burnett, JJ., concur.

Notes

In the recent case of State v. Varner, 310 S.C. 264, 423 S.E. (2d) 133 (1992), this Court held an appellant is not entitled ‍‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‍to the lesser sentence provided by-amendment to a penal statute when the amendment becomes effective while the case is pending on appeal. Varner does not apply here. As noted in Spencer, supra, a ‍‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‍statutory change in punishment is distinguishable from the repeal of a criminal law defining the crime itself.

Case Details

Case Name: State v. Rider

Court Name: Supreme Court of South Carolina

Date Published: Jan 22, 1996

Citations: 466 S.E.2d 367; 320 S.C. 533; 1996 S.C. LEXIS 6; 24368

Docket Number: 24368

Court Abbreviation: S.C.