Benjamin B. Hasty

I am a South Carolina criminal defense attorney focused on DUI defense, criminal defense, and serious traffic-related matters across York County and surrounding areas. I founded Carolina Criminal Defense to provide clients with strategic, straightforward representation when the stakes are high and the consequences are real. Before entering private practice, I served as an assistant solicitor in the Sixteenth Circuit, where I prosecuted cases in York County, including DUI matters. That experience gave me firsthand insight into how criminal cases are built, how evidence is evaluated, and where the weaknesses in the State’s case are often found. I use that perspective every day in defending my clients.

I earned my J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law and my undergraduate degree in political science from Clemson University. I was admitted to practice in South Carolina in 2015. Since then, I have focused my career on defending clients charged with criminal offenses and DUI-related matters, while continuing to pursue advanced training in DUI defense. Over the course of my career, I have been recognized with distinctions including Top 10 Under 40 by the National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys, and I have completed advanced training through the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys.

I was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and moved to Greenville, South Carolina, in 1991. I attended Greenville County public schools and graduated from Eastside High School before continuing my education in South Carolina. I also spent time in Genoa, Italy, where I played semi-professional football and attended language school. That experience broadened my perspective and continues to shape how I relate to people from different backgrounds and walks of life.

I believe criminal defense matters because a charge is never just a charge. For most people, it carries the potential to affect their reputation, their job, their family, their finances, and the course of their future. When someone is accused of a crime, they are often facing one of the most stressful and uncertain moments of their life. That is not something I take lightly.

I chose this area of practice because I believe every person deserves a strong defense, a clear strategy, and an attorney who understands what is truly at stake. My role is not only to challenge the evidence and hold the State to its burden, but also to help clients navigate a system that can feel overwhelming and unforgiving. Good criminal defense requires preparation, judgment, and a willingness to stand between the client and the full weight of the government’s case.

That is why I approach every case with urgency and purpose. I work to protect my clients’ rights, identify weaknesses in the prosecution’s case, and pursue the best possible outcome. Just as importantly, I work to help my clients protect what comes next.