(AP) -- COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The South Carolina Supreme Court says probation violators can be returned to prison to serve the rest of a suspended jail sentence.
The Greenville News reported the court ruled Tuesday that probation officials had misinterpreted a law by letting probation offenders go if they had completed the regular part of their sentence.
Many offenders are given a sentence, with part of it suspended. The justices said probation violators can be sent back to prison if the time served doesn't exceed the original sentence, which includes the suspended portion.
Probation department spokesman Peter O'Boyle says the ruling clarifies how to handle cases of people with split sentences, those who must serve some time and who have the rest of their time suspended.
Information from: The Greenville News
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