South Carolina Supreme Court Decisions

Located in Columbia, the South Carolina Supreme Court holds exclusive appellate jurisdiction over cases involving the death penalty, elections, state utility rates, and certain situations related to state grand juries and abortions by minors. It also holds original jurisdiction over writs of mandamus and certiorari, as well as extraordinary bills. The Supreme Court supervises the legal profession in South Carolina, including disciplinary proceedings for attorneys. It consists of five justices, who are selected according to the unusual method of legislative election. Only one other state in the U.S. uses the legislative election method.

Before the legislature votes on a candidate for the Supreme Court, the Judicial Merit Selection Commission must develop a list of candidates by referring to the requirements in Section 2-19-135(A) of the South Carolina Constitution. These include the character, reputation, physical and mental health, ethical fitness, professional ability, and experience of each prospective candidate. The two chambers of the legislature vote together to select a candidate from the list provided by the Commission. Once they are elected, a justice serves a term of 10 years.

The South Carolina Constitution provides three ways to remove a justice. Under Article XV, they may be removed if they are impeached by a two-thirds vote of the South Carolina House of Representatives and convicted by a two-thirds vote of the South Carolina Senate. The Governor of South Carolina also may remove a justice upon the address of two-thirds of each house of the legislature. Finally, the Supreme Court may remove a justice under Article V, Section 15 if the justice has engaged in judicial misconduct or has a disability that is likely to be permanent and seriously interfere with their duties. Before removing a justice, the Supreme Court will appoint a commission on judicial conduct to investigate a complaint. This commission will hold a hearing if the investigation shows sufficient evidence of a disability or misconduct. It may recommend removal to the Supreme Court, which will decide whether to remove the justice.

Browse Opinions From the South Carolina Supreme Court

Recent Decisions From the South Carolina Supreme Court
In the Matter of David J. Gundling
Date: March 13, 2024
Docket Number: 28195
Stephen R. Edwards v. Scapa Waycross, Inc.
Date: February 28, 2024
Docket Number: 28193
O'Shields v. Columbia Automotive Co.
Date: February 28, 2024
Docket Number: 28194
Powell v. SB Municipal Custodian
Date: February 14, 2024
Docket Number: 2024-MO-006
State v. Grissett  
Date: February 7, 2024
Docket Number: 28192

Justia Opinion Summary: In South Carolina, the case revolves around the interpretation of a law concerning the calculation of the one-year maximum Community Supervision Program (CSP) revocation sentence. The key question is whether inmates…

Denis Yeo v. Lexington Co. Assessor
Date: January 31, 2024
Docket Number: 2024-MO-005
State v. Brewton
Date: January 31, 2024
Docket Number: 28191
Walterboro Comm Hospital v. SCDHEC  
Date: January 24, 2024
Docket Number: 28189

Justia Opinion Summary: In South Carolina, two hospitals, Walterboro Community Hospital and Trident Medical Center, appealed an Administrative Law Court (ALC) order which approved the certificate of need (CON) for the Medical University…

Rice v. Doe  
Date: January 24, 2024
Docket Number: 28190

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the South Carolina Supreme Court was asked to decide whether the requirement for a witness affidavit under subsection 38-77-170(2) of the South Carolina Code should be considered a condition precedent to…

H. Hughes Andrews v. Quentin S. Broom Jr.
Date: January 17, 2024
Docket Number: 2024-MO-001
State v. Mutekis Jamar Williams
Date: January 17, 2024
Docket Number: 2024-MO-002
Barringer v. Merrill B. Light
Date: January 17, 2024
Docket Number: 2024-MO-003
Michael Isom v. Town of Atlantic Beach
Date: January 17, 2024
Docket Number: 2024-MO-004
Applied Building Sciences v. SC Dept of Commerce  
Date: January 17, 2024
Docket Number: 28184

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the South Carolina Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of a state statute that limits reimbursement of reestablishment expenses in condemnation proceedings to $50,000. The appellant, Applied Building…

State v. Benton  
Date: January 17, 2024
Docket Number: 28185

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of South Carolina affirmed the decision by the court of appeals in the case of Tommy Lee Benton, who was convicted for the murder of Charles Bryant Smith, two counts of first-degree burglary, one count…

The opinions published on Justia State Caselaw are sourced from individual state court sites. These court opinions may not be the official published versions, and you should check your local court rules before citing to them. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site, or the information linked to on the state site.

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

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