| Supreme Court of South Carolina | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Interactive map of Supreme Court of South Carolina | |
| Established | 1868 |
| Jurisdiction |  South Carolina |
| Location | Columbia |
| Motto | Nil ultra (Latin:Nothing beyond) |
| Composition method | Election by theGeneral Assembly |
| Authorised by | S.C. Const. art. V, §§ 1-2 |
| Appeals to | Supreme Court of the United States |
| Appeals from | South Carolina Court of Appeals South Carolina Circuit Court |
| Judge term length | Ten years, staggered |
| Number of positions | 5 |
| Website | Official website |
| Chief Justice | |
| Currently | John W. Kittredge |
| Since | August 1, 2024 |
| Lead position ends | 2028 |
| Jurist term ends | 2028 |
TheSupreme Court of South Carolina is the highest court in theU.S. state ofSouth Carolina. The court is composed of achief justice and fourassociate justices.[1][2]
South Carolina is one of two states where the state legislature elects state court judges, including the justices on the state supreme court.[3] A ten-person committee (composed mostly of state legislators) called the Judicial Merit Selection Commission (JMSC) winnows down the number of candidates to fill a judicial vacancy to three based on candidate qualifications. The General Assembly must then choose from one of these three candidates to fill a judicial vacancy.[3] However, candidates who gauge a lack of support amongst the General Assembly often drop out of the race, leaving the Assembly only one candidate to vote for.[4][5]
The JMSC is composed of five members appointed by the House Speaker of theSouth Carolina House of Representatives, three members appointed by the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, and two members appointed by the South Carolina Senate president. South Carolina statutory law requires that six of the ten JMSC members be state legislators.[6]
Justices on the supreme court serve ten-year terms and there is no prohibition against justices serving multiple terms on the court.[2][7] However, there is a mandatory retirement age of 72 for state trial judges and state appellate judges.[8]
The judicial selection process has been criticized by commentators for its opacity.[6][9] Following the supreme court's opinion striking down the state's fetal heartbeat bill in 2022 based on its violation of the state constitution's right to privacy, state legislators began to deliberate on reforms to the judicial selection process and GovernorHenry McMaster called for reform in his 2023 State of the State address.[3]
| Name | Born | Start | Term ends | Mandatory Retirement | Law School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John W. Kittredge | (1956-09-28)September 28, 1956 (age 69) | August 1, 2008 | 2028 | 2028 | South Carolina |
| John Cannon Few | (1963-04-09)April 9, 1963 (age 62) | January 1, 2016 | 2026 | 2035 | |
| George C. James | (1960-06-02)June 2, 1960 (age 65) | February 7, 2017 | 2030 | 2032 | |
| D. Garrison Hill | (1964-07-14)July 14, 1964 (age 61) | February 9, 2023 | 2030 | 2036 | |
| Letitia H. Verdin | 1970 (age 54–55) | August 1, 2024 | 2034 | 2044 |
The court enjoys bothoriginal andappellate jurisdiction. It enjoys exclusive appellate jurisdiction for all state cases regarding thedeath penalty, state utility rates, judgments involving public bonded indebtedness and elections, and orders limiting stategrand juries and relating toabortions by minors. Original jurisdiction pertains to the issuancewrits includingmandamus,certiorari, and very extraordinary bills.[10]
The South Carolina Supreme Court oversees theadmission of individuals to practice law in the state.[11] Much of the administration regarding admissions and practice is delegated to theSouth Carolina Bar, established by statute as an administrative arm of the court; however, the court retains ultimate authority in South Carolina governing the practice of law.[12] It also supervises the disciplining of attorneys and suspension of those no longer able to practice due to mental or physical condition.[13]
Supreme Court of South Carolina Building | |
 Supreme Court of South Carolina Building, December 2009 | |
   | |
| Location | 1231 Gervais St., Columbia, South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°0′6″N81°1′57″W / 34.00167°N 81.03250°W /34.00167; -81.03250 |
| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1917 (1917)–1921 |
| Architect | Gill & Wilkins; Andrew V. Kerns |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001220[14] |
| Added to NRHP | October 18, 1972 |
TheSupreme Court of South Carolina Building is located in the state capital ofColumbia. The court moved into its current location, a former United States Post Office building, in 1971.[15] It was built between 1917 and 1921, and is a two-story,Neo-Classical style building. The building has been listed on theNational Register of Historic Places since 1972.[16][17] Prior to 1971, the court met in a section of theSouth Carolina State House in an area totaling approximately 1,400 square feet (130 m2); the justices did not have individual offices, but instead met in a common conference room when not presiding over a session of court.[15]
Controversy arose in late 2007 afterThe State newspaper reported that the Supreme Court reversed the grades of 20 people who failed the South Carolina bar exam, including children of prominent attorneys, by voiding the results of thewills,trusts, andestates section of the exam.[18][19][20]
From 1930 to 2016, the South Carolina Supreme Court had 17 Chief Justices.
