The Structure Of South Carolina’s Court System

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The Structure of South Carolina’s Court System Joyce Ladson Everest University Online Paralegal Today-18 February 22, 2012 After intensive research, I found that every state has a structure of court systems. South Carolina’s Structure consists of The Supreme Court, The Court of Appeals and also The Trial Courts. These three court tiers have specific procedural requirements that they must adhere. In the state of South Carolina, The Supreme Court handles the Appellate and Original Jurisdiction. The Supreme Court is responsible for declaring official rules governing all the courts of South Carolina. The Supreme Court is composed of a Chief Justice and four (4) Associate Chief Justice’s. The General Assembly elects the justice’s for terms of ten (10) years that are not arranged consecutively. A justice can be re-elected to any number of terms. (South Carolina Judicial Department ) The state of South Carolina also has a Court of Appeals. The Court can sit as three panels of judges or it can sit as a whole. The Court listens to arguments and motions in any county of the state of South Carolina. The Court of Appeals was created to hear appeals from The Circuit Court and Family Court. On September 1, 1983 The Court of Appeals, also known as the judicial system’s newest court began operation. The Court of Appeals Consist of a Chief Judge and eight Associate Judges who are also elected by the General Assembly to terms of six (6) years that are not arranged consecutively. (South Carolina Judicial Department ) The third tier is the Trial Court also known as U.S. District Courts. This court consists of The Circuit Court, Family Court, Masters-In-Equity, Probate Court and Municipal Court. The Trial Courts is where the trial is initially held. The Circuit Court is a court of general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases. The Magistrate Courts, Probate Courts,
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