Defending Charges in Beaufort County
Beaufort County anchors South Carolina's 14th Judicial Circuit, the widest circuit any of our offices work. It also covers Allendale, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper counties. General Sessions cases are heard at the courthouse on Ribaut Road, and our attorneys handle the magistrate and municipal courts across the Lowcountry alongside it.
Beaufort is not the Upstate, and the caseload reflects it. Two things shape criminal defense here more than anywhere else we practice: the water, and the number of people who are charged somewhere they do not live.
Charges on the Water
Boating under the influence is a criminal offense in South Carolina, not a citation, and the waterways around Beaufort, Port Royal, and Hilton Head see real enforcement. It runs heaviest in season and around holiday weekends. The testing rules and what an officer can require differ from a roadside stop, which is often exactly where the defense lives.
Charged Here, Living Somewhere Else
Between Hilton Head, Beaufort's historic district, and the coast in between, a large share of arrests in this county involve people from out of state. That creates a practical problem on top of the legal one, because a court date means flying back. In many cases we can appear on your behalf and keep your travel to a minimum. Tell us where you live on the first call so we can plan around it.
A Veteran Owned Firm in a Military Community
Touma Law Group is veteran owned. Our founding partner is a serving Army JAG officer, and our Anderson attorney served in the Marine Corps and the Army with combat tours in Fallujah and Kandahar. In a county with the military presence Beaufort has, that background shapes how we prepare and how seriously we take a client who is counting on us.
To be clear about what we do: we defend civilian criminal charges in South Carolina courts. We do not represent clients in military court. If you serve and you are facing a charge in Beaufort County, we handle the state case, and we understand what a conviction can cost someone in uniform.
What It Costs
Fees depend on the charge and how far the case is likely to go. A first offense and a General Sessions felony are not comparable amounts of work. The initial consultation is free, and we give you a real number once we understand what we are dealing with.