DUI trial of public defender chief delayed

A lawyer for Gene Hood has requested a delay in the driving-under-the-influence trial of the head of the 14th judicial circuit's Public Defender's Office, according to details on the county's court index.

Hood was to appear before a Beaufort County magistrate in traffic court Thursday, according to the index. Hood's Beaufort attorney, Bruce Marshall, requested a continuance that postpones the hearing. A new date has not been set, a court employee said.

Attempts to reach Hood for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.

Hood, 65, who oversees public defenders in the 14th Circuit covering Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, Colleton and Allendale counties, was stopped while driving in Beaufort on Nov. 10 and taken to the county jail, according to the jail log.

The Beaufort resident faces a DUI charge and a charge of transporting an open alcoholic beverage. He was released on his own recognizance the day after his arrest, the log said.

The S.C. Commission on Indigent Defense appointed Hood to his position in August 2008. He previously served as a public defender in Beaufort County.

The following reports were released Thursday by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office:

BEAUFORT

THEFT

• Barnard Tire, Boundary Street: Vehicle parts worth $200 stolen.

BLUFFTON

BURGLARIES

• Young Clyde Court: Copper plumbing parts worth $7,000 stolen.

• Sawmill Creek Road: Damage to door and screen: $300.

VANDALISM

• Westbury Park, Kensington Blvd.: Car window broken. Damage: $250.

BURTON

THEFT

• Shanklin Road: Jewelry worth $1,500 stolen from home. Damage to home: $200.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND

BURGLARIES

• North Main Street: Computers worth $4,000 stolen.

• Heron Street: Computer worth $660 stolen. Doors, padlock and lights vandalized. Damage: $570.

• Dogwood Lane: Television worth $2,200 stolen. Damage to home: $250.

• Ocean Walk, Lemoyne Ave.: Video game console worth $200 stolen. Damage to door: $150.

THEFT

• Vic's Tavern, William Hilton Parkway: Wallet worth $20, S.C. driver's license worth $15, necklace worth $150, $380 in cash and credit and debit cards stolen.

VANDALISM

• Dogwood Lane: Window of home cracked. Damage: $200.

Compiled by Renee Dudley and Patrick Donohue