Current Status Bill Number:267 Ratification Number:121 Act Number:64 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19970129 Primary Sponsor:Giese All Sponsors:Giese and Lander Drafted Document Number:gjk\23254sd.97 Date Bill Passed both Bodies:19970515 Date of Last Amendment:19970513 Governor's Action:S Date of Governor's Action:19970610 Subject:Jurors, nonattendance as; magistrates courts, juror, contempt; penalties increased, Juries and Jurors, Courts
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ _______________________________________ _______ ____________ ------ 19970630 Act No. A64 ------ 19970610 Signed by Governor ------ 19970604 Ratified R121 Senate 19970515 Concurred in House amendment, enrolled for ratification House 19970514 Read third time, returned to Senate with amendment House 19970513 Amended, read second time House 19970507 Committee report: Favorable with 25 HJ amendment House 19970318 Introduced, read first time, 25 HJ referred to Committee Senate 19970314 Read third time, sent to House Senate 19970313 Read second time, unanimous consent for third reading on Friday, 19970314 Senate 19970313 Committee amendment adopted Senate 19970312 Committee report: Favorable with 11 SJ amendment Senate 19970129 Introduced, read first time, 11 SJ referred to CommitteeView additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
(A64, R121, S267)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 14-7-1390, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE PENALTY FOR NONATTENDANCE AS A JUROR IN ANY COURT OF THIS STATE, SO AS TO INCREASE THE PENALTY AND PROVIDE THAT IT SHALL BE A CIVIL PENALTY; TO AMEND SECTION 22-2-130, RELATING TO THE PENALTY FOR FAILURE OF A DULY SUMMONED JUROR IN MAGISTRATE'S COURT TO APPEAR, SO AS TO INCREASE THE PENALTY FOR VIOLATION AND PROVIDE THAT IT SHALL BE A CIVIL PENALTY; AND TO AMEND SECTION 22-3-950, RELATING TO A MAGISTRATE'S POWER TO PUNISH FOR CONTEMPT, SO AS TO INCREASE THE PENALTY FOR CONTEMPT.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Penalty increased; designated civil penalty
SECTION 1. Section 14-7-1390 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 14-7-1390. If a person duly drawn and summoned to attend as a juror in any court neglects to attend, without sufficient excuse, he shall pay a civil penalty not exceeding one hundred dollars which must be imposed by the court to which the juror was summoned and paid into the county treasury."
Penalty increased; designated civil penalty
SECTION 2. Section 22-2-130 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 22-2-130. If any juror duly summoned neglects or refuses to appear in obedience to any venire issued by a magistrate's court and within forty-eight hours does not render to the summoning magistrate a sufficient reason for his delinquency, he shall pay a civil penalty not exceeding one hundred dollars. A failure to pay forthwith the civil penalty assessed constitutes a contempt of court and may be punished accordingly. No person shall serve on a jury in a magistrate's court more than once in a three-month period."
Penalty for contempt increased
SECTION 3. Section 22-3-950 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 22-3-950. Every magistrate shall have power to enforce the observance of decorum in his court while holding the same and for that purpose he may punish for contempt any person who, in the presence of the court, shall offer an insult to the magistrate or a juror or who is wilfully guilty of an undue disturbance of the proceedings before the magistrate while sitting officially. A magistrate shall have the power to punish for contempt of court by imposition of sentences up to the limits imposed on magistrates' courts in Section 22-3-550."
Time effective
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
Approved the 10th day of June, 1997.