Beaufort Magistrate judge found not guilty of DUI after high-profile arrest last fall
Beaufort Magistrate Judge Thomas Holloway was found not guilty of driving under the influence following a car collision that led to his high-profile arrest last fall.
Judge Meree Williamson, a magistrate for Orangeburg County, made the ruling Tuesday morning, bypassing a jury vote through her judgment that prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to prove Holloway’s misdemeanor DUI charge.
“The defendant is in an accident that is 100% not his fault, and all of the evidence past that point is circumstantial,” Williamson told the courtroom. “One cannot be convicted on suspicion, however strong that suspicion may be.”
Following the verdict, 62-year-old Holloway was seen outside the courtroom hugging his family, supporters and partners at the Harvey & Battey Law Firm. He declined to comment to an Island Packet/Beaufort Gazette reporter on the outcome of the case, saying it would be a violation of judges’ code of conduct.
Jurors on Monday heard the prosecution’s testimony against Holloway, a longtime personal injury attorney who was facing the same type of prosecution he once presided over. His judging duties came to a halt after he was arrested and booked into the Beaufort County jail in October.
As a magistrate judge, Holloway handled cases involving small-scale civil disputes and low-level criminal offenses, along with other responsibilities like setting bail and conducting preliminary hearings. Magistrates are appointed to four-year terms by the governor’s office and confirmed by the state senate.
Holloway was confirmed as a magistrate in 2022, according to statehouse records, and his term is set to expire on Thursday. It was not immediately clear if he would seek reappointment.
Williamson, who was summoned from across county lines to promote an unbiased trial, made her ruling as she granted the defense’s “motion for directed verdict” — where a judge rules in favor of the defendant because prosecutors did not present sufficient evidence for a jury. She retired to her chambers for almost an hour before emerging with the verdict.
Attorney Megan Chinnis Askins, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the South Carolina Highway Patrol, told an Island Packet/Beaufort Gazette reporter the outcome was “frustrating,” especially because other cases have established that a suspect’s refusal of sobriety tests can be used as direct evidence.
“Our main goal is to seek justice at the end of the day,” Askins said when asked about the importance of putting a public official on trial. “I’m based out of Charleston, so I come help with various cases that are high-profile, have a lot of legal issues, and I think that shows our independence in terms of prosecuting cases.”
Holloway’s comfortability in the courtroom was on display during the hourlong break Tuesday morning. He was seen laughing and chatting warmly with court workers near the judge’s bench as they waited for Williamson to return.
Deputies noted judge’s ‘unusual’ behavior after crash
Holloway, a resident of Fripp Island, was booked into the Beaufort County jail in the early morning hours of Oct. 30. An SCHP trooper arrested the judge on suspicion of DUI after he collided with a vehicle driven by Katrina Sellars as he drove on Sea Island Parkway (U.S. Highway 21) around 8 p.m. the night prior.
Sellars, who was trying to turn onto the highway from Seaside Road, was cited for failure to yield, according to previous reporting. Both drivers were hospitalized with minor injuries, Holloway for a broken nose and a concussion.
Police responding to the collision that night allegedly found Holloway eating crackers and “chugging water,” behavior they described as “unusual” following a crash, according to an SCHP incident report. Holloway told police he was driving home from a hunting trip at his property in Colleton County, the report says.
The defense was set to begin its case Tuesday morning after prosecutors presented testimony from a Beaufort County deputy and the SCHP trooper who arrested Holloway. The officers testified they smelled alcohol during the arrest, that the judge’s eyes appeared red and bloodshot and that he declined to submit to both field sobriety tests and a breathalyzer.
Defense attorney Scott Lee, who represented Holloway, argued Tuesday morning the collision was “unavoidable” and “100% not (Holloway’s) fault.” Holloway refused sobriety tests because he had had a stroke, Lee argued, and the judge’s eyes were red due to the powder from his airbag deploying in the collision.
“So is that circumstantial evidence of DUI? Well, it’s circumstantial evidence of a lot of things, including having an airbag,” Lee told the judge. “So again, it may be circumstantial, but it’s not substantial. It’s not enough to get past that threshold.”
Askins, sitting next to the state trooper who arrested Holloway, had argued that the officers’ testimony alleging impairment was enough to send to a jury.
“The state has shown evidence for each necessary element of driving under the influence ... That’s up to the jury at this point,” Askins said. “The matter should be now submitted to the jury for them to decide based on the review of weight and credibility of the evidence.”
Beaufort deputies’ bodycams had allegedly been muted
At a pre-trial hearing in late February, Askins argued Holloway should be tried before a jury — not just a judge — because he is a public figure. Her request was granted by Judge Williamson.
Lee objected, saying bench trials are the default practice in magistrate court. He pressed for the trial to start immediately, arguing Holloway was eager to begin because the case had put his judgeship on hold and caused “tremendous harm” to his reputation.
During the February hearing, Lee sought to have the case dismissed due to Beaufort County deputies on the scene of the collision who “did an awful lot of muting” of audio on their body cameras, the attorney alleged.
Lee said the muting was “quite concerning” and equated it to the destruction of evidence. (Williamson seemed to agree, saying it was “disturbing” to hear of the missing audio). The defense attorney went on to argue that at least one deputy on scene appeared to be excited about a judge being the suspect, running up to a state trooper with Holloway’s license in hand.
Askins rebuffed the defense’s claims, saying the sheriff’s deputies were only handling the scene until state troopers arrived to assume the investigation.
“She was the only one on the scene who arrested and charged this defendant,” Askins said of Lindsey Romagnino, the SCHP senior trooper who arrested Holloway.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct Thomas Holloway’s age. He is 62, not 61.
This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 2:27 PM.
