State v. Clarke

Finney, Justice;

Appellant Barry Clarke was convicted of unlawfully carrying a pistol. We affirm.

On March 21, 1988, a Charleston police officer stopped appellant’s vehicle and cited him for changing lanes improperly pursuant to South Carolina Code Ann. § 56-5-1990 (Cum. Supp. 1987). During the stop, the officer observed a gun in a holster next to the driver’s seat, and the appellant was also charged with unlawfully carrying a pistol. The appellant was tried in municipal court for the traffic violation and acquitted. Subsequently, appellant went to trial in General Sessions Court for the…