South Carolina Judge Adds Bible Reading to Drunk Driving Sentence

A South Carolina woman whose drunken driving seriously injured two people has been sentenced to eight years in prison, substance abuse counseling, and to read the Bible.

The Herald of Rock Hill reported that Cassandra Tolley’s attorney said she was thankful for the task and has started working on her assignment to read the Old Testament book of Job and write a summary. The Bible segment’s dominant theme is the question of why God allows good people to suffer.

A legal expert says the sentence by Circuit Court Judge Michael Nettles is rare. University of South Carolina law professor Kenneth Gaines says judges can’t arbitrarily add anything they want to a sentence, but if the defendant consents, it’s not an issue.