South Carolina Code 16-23-490. Additional punishment for possession of firearm or knife during commission of, or attempt to commit, violent crime
(B) Service of the five-year sentence is mandatory unless a longer mandatory minimum term of imprisonment is provided by law for the violent crime. The court may impose this mandatory five-year sentence to run consecutively or concurrently.
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 16-23-490
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
- weapon: means firearm (rifle, shotgun, pistol, or similar device that propels a projectile through the energy of an explosive), a blackjack, a metal pipe or pole, or any other type of device, or object which may be used to inflict bodily injury or death. See South Carolina Code 16-23-405
(C) Except as provided in this subsection, the person sentenced under this section is not eligible during this five-year period for parole, work release, or extended work release. The five years may not be suspended and the person may not complete his term of imprisonment in less than five years pursuant to good-time credits or work credits, but may earn credits during this period. The person is eligible for work release, if the person is sentenced for voluntary manslaughter (§ 16-3-50), kidnapping (§ 16-3-910), carjacking (§ 16-3-1075), burglary in the second degree (§ 16-11-312(B)), armed robbery (§ 16-11-330(A)), or attempted armed robbery (§ 16-11-330(B)), the crime did not involve any criminal sexual conduct or an additional violent crime as defined in § 16-1-60, and the person is within three years of release from imprisonment.
(D) As used in this section, "firearm" means any machine gun, automatic rifle, revolver, pistol, or any weapon which will, or is designed to, or may readily be converted to expel a projectile; "knife" means an instrument or tool consisting of a sharp cutting blade whether or not fastened to a handle which is capable of being used to inflict a cut, slash, or wound.
(E) The additional punishment may not be imposed unless the indictment alleged as a separate count that the person was in possession of a firearm or visibly displayed what appeared to be a firearm or visibly displays a knife during the commission of the violent crime and conviction was had upon this count in the indictment. The penalties prescribed in this section may not be imposed unless the person convicted was at the same time indicted and convicted of a violent crime as defined in § 16-1-60.