Archives > 1976 South Carolina Code of Laws - Previous Versions > 2007 Session > Title 14

The South Carolina Legislative Council is offering access to the unannotated South Carolina Code of Laws on the Internet as a service to the public. The unannotated South Carolina Code on the General Assembly's website is now current through the 2007 regular session. The unannotated South Carolina Code, consisting only of Code text and numbering, may be copied from this website at the reader's expense and effort without need for permission.

The Legislative Council is unable to assist users of this service with legal questions. Also, legislative staff cannot respond to requests for legal advice or the application of the law to specific facts. Therefore, to understand and protect your legal rights, you should consult your own private lawyer regarding all legal questions.

While every effort was made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the unannotated South Carolina Code available on the South Carolina General Assembly's website, the unannotated South Carolina Code is not official, and the state agencies preparing this website and the General Assembly are not responsible for any errors or omissions which may occur in these files. Only the current published volumes of the South Carolina Code of Laws Annotated and any pertinent acts and joint resolutions contain the official version.

Please note that the Legislative Council is not able to respond to individual inquiries regarding research or the features, format, or use of this website. However, you may notify Legislative Printing, Information and Technology Systems at [email protected] regarding any apparent errors or omissions in content of Code sections on this website, in which case LPITS will relay the information to appropriate staff members of the South Carolina Legislative Council for investigation.

Title 14 - Courts

CHAPTER 1.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

SECTION 14-1-10. "Property" defined.

The word "property," as used in this Title, includes property, real and personal.

SECTION 14-1-20. "Real property" and "real estate" defined.

The words "real property" and "real estate," as used in this Title, are coextensive with lands, tenements and hereditaments.

SECTION 14-1-30. "Personal property" defined.

The words "personal property," as used in this Title, include money, goods, chattels, things in action and evidences of debt.

SECTION 14-1-40. "Clerk" defined.

The word "clerk", as used in this title, signifies the clerk of the court where the action is pending and, in the Supreme Court or court of appeals, the clerk of the county mentioned in the title of the complaint or in another county to which the court may have changed the place of trial, unless otherwise specified.

SECTION 14-1-50. Common law of England shall continue in effect.

All, and every part, of the common law of England, where it is not altered by the Code or inconsistent with the Constitution or laws of this State, is hereby continued in full force and effect in the same manner as before the adoption of this section.

SECTION 14-1-60. Rules of construction.

The rule of common law that statutes in derogation of that law are to be strictly construed has no application to this Title.

SECTION 14-1-70. Designation of the several courts of the State.

The following are courts of justice in this State:

(1) the court for trial of impeachments;

(2) the Supreme Court;

(3) the court of appeals;

(4) the circuit courts, to wit:

(a) a court of common pleas and

(b) a court of general sessions;

(5) probate courts;

(6) the family courts;

(7) magistrates' courts; and

(8) municipal courts.

SECTION 14-1-80. Jurisdiction of the several courts of the state, generally.

These courts shall exercise the jurisdiction now vested in them respectively except as otherwise prescribed.

SECTION 14-1-90. Chief Justice of Supreme Court shall be administrative head; his powers and duties; vacancy.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall be the administrative head of all courts in this State. He shall examine the administrative methods, systems and activities of the courts and their employees, examine the dockets of the several courts and require the courts and their employees to furnish to him such information as may be appropriate to assist in the administration of the courts. Within the framework of the requirements of Section 14-3-390, he shall make all assignments of duties for the circuit judges and may, from time to time, transfer a circuit judge from one assignment to another, as such judge's regularly assigned duties will permit and as the need appears. He shall have the right to call additional terms of court, to assign more than one judge to a circuit, if such additional judge's regularly assigned duties will permit and if need appears, and generally to supervise the calendars of trial courts in the interest of the better administration of justice. In the event that there is a vacancy in the position of Chief Justice or for any reason the Chief Justice is unable to act, the powers and functions provided in this section shall be exercised by the senior associate justice.

SECTION 14-1-95. Power of chief justice to adjust salary of judicial employees.

Effective July 1, 1985, the Chief Justice is empowered to adjust salary levels of employees of the Judicial Department from funds appropriated to the Judicial Department.

SECTION 14-1-100. Rights in court shall not be affected by race or color.

Whenever authority has heretofore been conferred by law upon any free white person or persons to institute any suit or proceedings or to prefer any information or complaint in any matter, civil, penal or criminal, the same rights shall be enjoyed by and the same remedies shall be applicable to all persons whatsoever, regardless of race or color, subject to the same conditions and none other.

SECTION 14-1-110. Effect on process pending in any court of failure of court to sit on day appointed by law.

No process pending in any court shall be discontinued for or by reason of the failure to hold the court upon the day appointed by law. In such case all suits, process, matters and things depending shall be made to the next succeeding court in course in the same manner as if such succeeding court had been the same court to which such process stood continued or such returns or appearances should have been made. And recognizances, bonds and obligations for appearances and all returns shall be of the same force and validity for the appearance of any person at such succeeding court and all summonses for witnesses as effectual as if the succeeding court had been expressly mentioned therein.

SECTION 14-1-120. Case continued on adjournment.

All causes depending on the docket and undetermined at any adjournment to the court in course shall stand continued in the same order to such court as fully as if such causes were called over and continued by order of court.

SECTION 14-1-130. Disqualification of judge by reason of relationship to parties.

No judge or other judicial officer shall preside on the trial of any cause when he may be connected with either of the parties by consanguinity or affinity within the sixth degree.

SECTION 14-1-140. Persons attending court shall be exempt from arrest; mileage allowed per day.

All persons necessarily going to, attending on, or returning from, the courts of record of this State shall be free from arrest, except on criminal process for treason, felony or breach of the peace. Thirty miles per day shall be allowed such persons for travelling.

SECTION 14-1-150. Contempt of court; offenders shall be heard.

In case any person shall commit any misbehavior or contempt in any court of judicature in this State, by word or gesture, the judges of such court may set a fine on such offender in any sum not exceeding fifty dollars, for the use of this State, and may commit the offender till payment. But if any person shall in the presence and during the sitting of the court strike or use any violence therein, such person shall be fined at the discretion of the court and shall be committed till payment; provided, that no citizen of this State shall be sent to jail for any contempt of court or supposed contempt of court, committed during the sitting of the court and in disturbance of the court, until he be brought before the court and there be heard by himself or counsel or shall stand mute.

SECTION 14-1-160. Breach of peace within hearing of court.

When any affray shall happen during the sitting of any court within this State and within the hearing or to the disturbance of the court, the court shall order the sheriff or other lawful officer to take the affrayers or other disturbers of the peace or those guilty of contempt and bring the offenders before the court and the court shall make such order thereon as may be consistent with law, justice and good order.

SECTION 14-1-170. Filing of undertakings.

The various undertakings required to be given by this Title must be filed with the clerk of the court, unless the court expressly provides for a different disposition thereof.

SECTION 14-1-180. Jurors for inferior courts in counties containing a city of more than 70,000.

In each county containing a city having more than seventy thousand population, according to the official United States census, all jurors for courts inferior to the circuit court and having both civil and criminal jurisdiction shall be drawn from the jury box and tales box provided for such counties under Sections 14-7-170 and 14-7-210.

SECTION 14-1-190. Monies received by jurors constitute expense allowance.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any monies received by a person for service as a juror in any court of this State shall be considered an expense allowance for such service.

SECTION 14-1-200. Establishment of salaries of Supreme Court Justices, Court of Appeals, Circuit Court, and Family Court judges, and circuit solicitors.

The General Assembly shall establish the salary of the Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court in the annual general appropriation act with the salary of the Chief Justice to be one hundred five percent of the salary fixed for Associate Justices of the Supreme Court and shall fix the salaries for the court of appeals, circuit court, and family court according to the following schedule:

(1) The chief judge of the court of appeals shall receive a salary in an amount equal to ninety-nine percent of the salary fixed for Associate Justices of the Supreme Court;

(2) Judges of the court of appeals shall receive a salary in an amount equal to ninety-seven and one-half percent of the salary fixed for Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, and circuit court judges shall receive a salary in an amount equal to ninety-five percent of the salary fixed for Associate Justices of the Supreme Court;

(3) Judges of the family court shall receive a salary in an amount equal to ninety-two and one-half percent of the salary fixed for Associate Justices of the Supreme Court.

SECTION 14-1-201. Distribution of additional assessment charged to persons convicted of driving under influence of intoxicating liquors or drugs.

The revenue from the twelve dollar additional assessments imposed pursuant to Section 56-5-2995 must be distributed as follows:

(1) eighty-four percent to the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs for the Head and Spinal Cord Injuries Family Support Program; and

(2) sixteen percent to the Department of Health and Environmental Control for Emergency Medical Services - Aid to Counties, restricted.

SECTION 14-1-202. Authority to collect or compromise a court-ordered delinquent debt.

(A) The clerk of the appropriate court, or county treasurer or municipal treasurer, as appropriate, is authorized to collect any fine, penalty, cost, fee, assessment, surcharge, service charge, restitution, or other amount imposed by a court or as a direct consequence of a court order.

(B) The clerk of the appropriate court, or county treasurer or municipal treasurer, as appropriate, may compromise any fine, penalty, cost, fee, assessment, surcharge, service charge, restitution, or other amount imposed by a court or as a direct consequence of a court order to the extent necessary to collect these items. If a clerk or treasurer compromises an amount pursuant to this subsection, the proceeds representing the collected amount must be distributed pro rata to the entities that otherwise would have received the original amount.

SECTION 14-1-203. Revenues from spousal and dependent children support actions.

The revenue from the fee set in Section 20-7-1440(C) must be remitted to the county in which the proceeding is instituted. Forty-four percent of the revenues must be remitted monthly by the fifteenth day of each month to the State Treasurer on forms in a manner prescribed by him. When payment is made to the county in installments, the state's portion must be remitted to the State Treasurer by the county treasurer on a monthly basis. The forty-four percent remitted to the State Treasurer must be deposited as follows:

(1) 43.76 percent to the general fund;

(2) 10.04 percent to the Department of Mental Health to be used exclusively for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts within the department's addiction center facilities;

(3) 6.20 percent to the State Office of Victim Assistance under the South Carolina Victim's Compensation Fund; and

(4) 40.00 percent to the South Carolina Judicial Department.

SECTION 14-1-204. Distribution of filing fee paid for filing complaints or petitions in civil actions in a court of record.

The one-hundred dollar filing fee for documents and actions described in Section 8-21-310(11)(a) must be remitted to the county in which the proceeding is instituted, and fifty-six percent of these filing fee revenues must be delivered to the county treasurer to be remitted monthly by the fifteenth day of each month to the State Treasurer. When a payment is made to the county in installments, the state's portion must be remitted to the State Treasurer by the county treasurer on a monthly basis.

The fifty-six percent of the one-hundred-dollar fee prescribed in Section 8-21-310(11)(a) remitted to the State Treasurer must be deposited as follows:

(1) 31.52 percent to the state general fund;

(2) 7.23 percent to the Department of Mental Health to be used exclusively for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts within the department's addiction center facilities;

(3) 4.47 percent to the State Office of Victim Assistance under the South Carolina Victim's Compensation Fund; and

(4) 26.78 percent to the Defense of Indigents Per Capita Fund, administered by the Commission on Indigent Defense, which shall then distribute these funds on December thirty-first and on June thirtieth of each year to South Carolina organizations that are grantees of the Legal Services Corporation, in amounts proportionate to each recipient's share of the state's poverty population; and

(5) 30.00 percent to the South Carolina Judicial Department.

SECTION 14-1-205. Disposition of costs, fees, fines, penalties, forfeitures, and other revenues; restitution charge to Victim's Compensation Fund.

Except as provided in Sections 17-15-260, 34-11-90, 50-1-150, 50-1-170, and 56-5-4160, on January 1, 1995, fifty-six percent of all costs, fees, fines, penalties, forfeitures, and other revenues generated by the circuit courts and the family courts, except the seventy dollar filing fee prescribed in Section 8-21-310(11)(a) must be remitted to the county in which the proceeding is instituted and forty-four percent of the revenues must be delivered to the county treasurer to be remitted monthly by the fifteenth day of each month to the State Treasurer on forms and in a manner prescribed by him. When a payment is made to the county in installments, the state's portion must be remitted to the State Treasurer by the County Treasurer on a monthly basis. The forty-four percent remitted to the State Treasurer must be deposited as follows:

(1) 72.93 percent to the general fund;

(2) 16.73 percent to the Department of Mental Health to be used exclusively for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts within the department's addiction center facilities;

(3) 10.34 percent to the State Office of Victim Assistance under the South Carolina Victim's Compensation Fund.

In any court, when sentencing a person convicted of an offense which has proximately caused physical injury or death to the victim, the court may order the defendant to pay a restitution charge commensurate with the offense committed, not to exceed ten thousand dollars, to the Victim's Compensation Fund.

SECTION 14-1-206. Additional assessment, general sessions or family court; remittance; disposition; annual audits.

(A) Beginning January 1, 1995, and continuously after that date, a person who is convicted of, pleads guilty or nolo contendere to, or forfeits bond for an offense tried in general sessions court must pay an amount equal to one hundred percent of the fine imposed as an assessment. This assessment must be paid to the clerk of court in the county in which the criminal judgment is rendered for remittance to the State Treasurer by the county treasurer. The assessment is based upon that portion of the fine that is not suspended and assessments must not be waived, reduced, or suspended.

(B) The county treasurer must remit thirty-eight percent of the revenue generated by the assessment imposed in subsection (A) to the county to be used for the purposes set forth in subsection (D) and remit the balance of the assessment revenue to the State Treasurer on a monthly basis by the fifteenth day of each month and make reports on a form and in a manner prescribed by the State Treasurer. Assessments paid in installments must be remitted as received.

(C) The State Treasurer shall deposit the assessments received as follows:

(1) 47.17 percent for programs established pursuant to Chapter 21 of Title 24 and the Shock Incarceration Program as provided in Article 13, Chapter 13 of Title 24;

(2) 16.52 percent to the Department of Public Safety program of training in the fields of law enforcement and criminal justice;

(3) .5 percent to the Department of Public Safety to defray the cost of erecting and maintaining the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame. When funds collected pursuant to this item exceed the necessary costs and expenses of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame operation and maintenance as determined by the Department of Public Safety, the department may retain the surplus for use in its law enforcement training programs;

(4) 16.21 percent to the Office of Indigent Defense for the defense of indigents;

(5) 13.26 percent for the State Office of Victim Assistance;

(6) 5.34 percent to the general fund;

(7) 1.0 percent to the Attorney General's Office for a fund to provide support for counties involved in complex criminal litigation. For the purposes of this item, 'complex criminal litigation' means criminal cases in which the State is seeking the death penalty and has served notice as required by law upon the defendant's counsel, and the county involved has expended more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars for a particular case in direct support of operating the court of general sessions and for prosecution related expenses. The Attorney General shall develop guidelines for determining what expenses are reimbursable from the fund and shall approve all disbursements from the fund. Funds must be paid to a county for all expenditures authorized for reimbursement under this item except for the first one hundred thousand dollars the county expended in satisfying the requirements for reimbursement from the fund; however, money disbursed from this fund must be disbursed on a 'first received, first paid' basis. When revenue in the fund reaches five hundred thousand dollars, all revenue in excess of five hundred thousand dollars must be credited to the general fund of the State. Unexpended revenue in the fund at the end of the fiscal year carries over and may be expended in the next fiscal year.

(D) The revenue retained by the county under subsection (B) must be used for the provision of services for the victims of crime including those required by law. These funds must be appropriated for the exclusive purpose of providing victim services as required by Article 15 of Title 16; specifically, those service requirements that are imposed on local law enforcement, local detention facilities, prosecutors, and the summary courts. First priority must be given to those victims' assistance programs which are required by Article 15 of Title 16 and second priority must be given to programs which expand victims' services beyond those required by Article 15 of Title 16. All unused funds must be carried forward from year to year and used exclusively for the provision of services for victims of crime. All unused funds must be separately identified in the governmental entity's adopted budget as funds unused and carried forward from previous years.

(E) To ensure that fines and assessments imposed pursuant to this section and Section 14-1-209(A) are properly collected and remitted to the State Treasurer, the annual independent external audit required to be performed for each county pursuant to Section 4-9-150 must include a review of the accounting controls over the collection, reporting, and distribution of fines and assessments from the point of collection to the point of distribution and a supplementary schedule detailing all fines and assessments collected by the clerk of court for the court of general sessions, the amount remitted to the county treasurer, and the amount remitted to the State Treasurer.

(1) To the extent that records are made available in the format determined pursuant to subsection (E)(4), the supplementary schedule must include the following elements:

(a) all fines collected by the clerk of court for the court of general sessions;

(b) all assessments collected by the clerk of court for the court of general sessions;

(c) the amount of fines retained by the county treasurer;

(d) the amount of assessments retained by the county treasurer;

(e) the amount of fines and assessments remitted to the State Treasurer pursuant to this section; and

(f) the total funds, by source, allocated to victim services activities, how those funds were expended, and any balances carried forward.

(2) The supplementary schedule must be included in the external auditor's report by an "in relation to" paragraph as required by generally accepted auditing standards when information accompanies the basic financial statements in auditor submitted documents.

(3) Within thirty days of issuance of the audited financial statement, the county must submit to the State Treasurer a copy of the audited financial statement and a statement of the actual cost associated with the preparation of the supplemental schedule required in this subsection. Upon submission to the State Treasurer, the county may retain and pay from the fines and assessments collected pursuant to this section the actual expense charged by the external auditor for the preparation of the supplemental schedule required in this subsection, not to exceed one thousand dollars each year.

(4) The clerk of court and county treasurer shall keep records of fines and assessments required to be reviewed pursuant to this subsection in the format determined by the county council and make those records available for review.

SECTION 14-1-207. Additional assessment, magistrate's court; remittance; disposition; annual audits.

(A) Beginning January 1, 1995, and continuously after that date, a person who is convicted of, pleads guilty or nolo contendere to, or forfeits bond for an offense tried in magistrate's court must pay an amount equal to 100 percent of the fine imposed as an assessment. This assessment must be paid to the magistrate and deposited as required by Section 22-1-70 in the county in which the criminal judgment is rendered for remittance to the State Treasurer by the county treasurer. The assessment is based upon that portion of the fine that is not suspended and assessments must not be waived, reduced, or suspended.

(B) The county treasurer must remit 12 percent of the revenue generated by the assessment imposed in subsection (A) to the county to be used for the purposes set forth in subsection (D) and remit the balance of the assessment revenue to the State Treasurer on a monthly basis by the fifteenth day of each month and make reports on a form and in a manner prescribed by the State Treasurer. Assessments paid in installments must be remitted as received.

(C) The State Treasurer shall deposit the assessments as follows:

(1) 35.12 percent for programs established pursuant to Chapter 21 of Title 24 and the Shock Incarceration Program as provided in Article 13, Chapter 13 of Title 24;

(2) 22.49 percent to the Department of Public Safety program of training in the fields of law enforcement and criminal justice;

(3) .65 percent to the Department of Public Safety to defray the cost of erecting and maintaining the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame. When funds collected pursuant to this item exceed the necessary costs and expenses of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame operation and maintenance as determined by the Department of Public Safety, the department may retain the surplus for use in its law enforcement training programs;

(4) 20.42 percent for the State Office of Victim Assistance;

(5) 8.94 percent to the general fund;

(6) 11.38 percent to the Office of Indigent Defense for the defense of indigents;

(7) 1.0 percent to the Attorney General's Office for a fund to provide support for counties involved in complex criminal litigation. For the purposes of this item, 'complex criminal litigation' means criminal cases in which the State is seeking the death penalty and has served notice as required by law upon the defendant's counsel and the county involved has expended more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars for a particular case in direct support of operating the court of general sessions and for prosecution related expenses. The Attorney General shall develop guidelines for determining what expenses are reimbursable from the fund and shall approve all disbursements from the fund. Funds must be paid to a county for all expenditures authorized for reimbursement under this item except for the first one hundred thousand dollars the county expended in satisfying the requirements for reimbursement from the fund; however, money disbursed from this fund must be disbursed on a 'first received, first paid' basis. When revenue in the fund reaches five hundred thousand dollars, all revenue in excess of five hundred thousand dollars must be credited to the general fund of the State. Unexpended revenue in the fund at the end of the fiscal year carries over and may be expended in the next fiscal year.

(D) The revenue retained by the county under subsection (B) must be used for the provision of services for the victims of crime including those required by law. These funds must be appropriated for the exclusive purpose of providing victim services as required by Article 15 of Title 16; specifically, those service requirements that are imposed on local law enforcement, local detention facilities, prosecutors, and the summary courts. First priority must be given to those victims' assistance programs which are required by Article 15 of Title 16 and second priority must be given to programs which expand victims' services beyond those required by Article 15 of Title 16. All unused funds must be carried forward from year to year and used exclusively for the provision of services for victims of crime. All unused funds must be separately identified in the governmental entity's adopted budget as funds unused and carried forward from previous years.

(E) To ensure that fines and assessments imposed pursuant to this section and Section 14-1-209(A) are properly collected and remitted to the State Treasurer, the annual independent external audit required to be performed for each county pursuant to Section 4-9-150 must include a review of the accounting controls over the collection, reporting, and distribution of fines and assessments from the point of collection to the point of distribution and a supplementary schedule detailing all fines and assessments collected by the magistrate's court of that county, the amount remitted to the county treasurer, and the amount remitted to the State Treasurer.

(1) To the extent that records are made available in the format determined pursuant to subsection (E)(4), the supplementary schedule must include the following elements:

(a) all fines collected by the magistrate's court;

(b) all assessments collected by the magistrate's court;

(c) the amount of fines retained by the county treasurer;

(d) the amount of assessments retained by the county treasurer;

(e) the amount of fines and assessments remitted to the State Treasurer pursuant to this section; and

(f) the total funds, by source, allocated to victim services activities, how those funds were expended, and any balances carried forward.

(2) The supplementary schedule must be included in the external auditor's report by an "in relation to" paragraph as required by generally accepted auditing standards when information accompanies the basic financial statements in auditor submitted documents.

(3) Within thirty days of issuance of the audited financial statement, the county must submit to the State Treasurer a copy of the audited financial statement and a statement of the actual cost associated with the preparation of the supplemental schedule required in this section. Upon submission to the State Treasurer, the county may retain and pay from the fines and assessments collected pursuant to this section the actual expense charged by the external auditor for the preparation of the supplemental schedule required in this subsection, not to exceed one thousand dollars each year.

(4) The clerk of court and county treasurer shall keep records of fines and assessments required to be reviewed pursuant to this subsection in the format determined by the county council and make those records available for review.

SECTION 14-1-208. Additional assessment, municipal court; remittance; disposition; annual audits.

(A) Beginning October 1, 2000, and continuously after that date, a person who is convicted of, or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to, or forfeits bond for an offense tried in municipal court must pay an amount equal to 100 percent of the fine imposed as an assessment. This assessment must be paid to the municipal clerk of court and deposited with the city treasurer for remittance to the State Treasurer. The assessment is based upon that portion of the fine that is not suspended, and assessments must not be waived, reduced, or suspended.

(B) The city treasurer must remit 12 percent of the revenue generated by the assessment imposed in subsection (A) to the municipality to be used for the purposes set forth in subsection (D) and remit the balance of the assessment revenue to the State Treasurer on a monthly basis by the fifteenth day of each month and make reports on a form and in a manner prescribed by the State Treasurer. Assessments paid in installments must be remitted as received.

(C) The State Treasurer shall deposit the assessments received as follows:

(1) 15.24 percent for programs established pursuant to Chapter 21 of Title 24 and the Shock Incarceration Program as provided in Article 13, Chapter 13 of Title 24;

(2) 15.07 percent to the Department of Public Safety program of training in the fields of law enforcement and criminal justice;

(3) .39 percent to the Department of Public Safety to defray the cost of erecting and maintaining the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame. When funds collected pursuant to this item exceed the necessary costs and expenses of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame operation and maintenance as determined by the Department of Public Safety, the department may retain the surplus for use in its law enforcement training programs;

(4) 11.26 percent for the State Office of Victim Assistance;

(5) 4.11 percent to the general fund;

(6) 11.46 percent to the Office of Indigent Defense for the defense of indigents;

(7) .97 percent to the Department of Mental Health to be used exclusively for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts within the department's addiction center facilities;

(8) .59 percent to the Attorney General's Office for a fund to provide support for counties involved in complex criminal litigation. For the purposes of this item, "complex criminal litigation" means criminal cases in which the State is seeking the death penalty and has served notice as required by law upon the defendant's counsel and the county involved has expended more than one hundred thousand dollars for a particular case in direct support of operating the court of general sessions and for prosecution-related expenses. The Attorney General shall develop guidelines for determining what expenses are reimbursable from the fund and shall approve all disbursements from the fund. Funds must be paid to a county for all expenditures authorized for reimbursement under this item except for the first one hundred thousand dollars the county expended in satisfying the requirements for reimbursement from the fund; however, money disbursed from this fund must be disbursed on a "first received, first paid" basis. When revenue in the fund reaches five hundred thousand dollars, all revenue in excess of five hundred thousand dollars must be credited to the general fund of the State. Unexpended revenue in the fund at the end of the fiscal year carries over and may be expended in the next fiscal year;

(9) 11.36 percent for the programs established pursuant to Section 56-5-2953(E);

(10) 14.77 percent to the Governor's Task Force on Litter and in the expenditure of these funds, the provisions of Chapter 35 of Title 11 do not apply;

(11) 14.77 percent to the Department of Juvenile Justice. The Department of Juvenile Justice must apply the funds generated by this item to offset the nonstate share of allowable costs of operating juvenile detention centers so that per diem costs charged to local governments utilizing the juvenile detention centers do not exceed twenty-five dollars a day. Notwithstanding this provision of law, the director of the department may waive, reduce, defer, or reimburse the charges paid by local governments for juvenile detention placements. The department may apply the remainder of the funds generated by this item, if any, to operational or capital expenses associated with regional evaluation centers.

(D) The revenue retained by the municipality under subsection (B) must be used for the provision of services for the victims of crime including those required by law. These funds must be appropriated for the exclusive purpose of providing victim services as required by Article 15 of Title 16; specifically, those service requirements that are imposed on local law enforcement, local detention facilities, prosecutors, and the summary courts. First priority must be given to those victims' assistance programs which are required by Article 15 of Title 16 and second priority must be given to programs which expand victims' services beyond those required by Article 15 of Title 16. All unused funds must be carried forward from year to year and used exclusively for the provision of services for victims of crime. All unused funds must be separately identified in the governmental entity's adopted budget as funds unused and carried forward from previous years.

(E) To ensure that fines and assessments imposed pursuant to this section and Section 14-1-209(A) are properly collected and remitted to the State Treasurer, the annual independent external audit required to be performed for each municipality pursuant to Section 5-7-240 must include a review of the accounting controls over the collection, reporting, and distribution of fines and assessments from the point of collection to the point of distribution and a supplementary schedule detailing all fines and assessments collected at the court level, the amount remitted to the municipal treasurer, and the amount remitted to the State Treasurer.

(1) To the extent that records are made available in the format determined pursuant to subsection (E)(4), the supplementary schedule must include the following elements:

(a) all fines collected by the clerk of court for the municipal court;

(b) all assessments collected by the clerk of court for the municipal court;

(c) the amount of fines retained by the municipal treasurer;

(d) the amount of assessments retained by the municipal treasurer;

(e) the amount of fines and assessments remitted to the State Treasurer pursuant to this section; and

(f) the total funds, by source, allocated to victim services activities, how those funds were expended, and any balances carried forward.

(2) The supplementary schedule must be included in the external auditor's report by an "in relation to" paragraph as required by generally accepted auditing standards when information accompanies the basic financial statements in auditor submitted documents.

(3) Within thirty days of issuance of the audited financial statement, the municipality must submit to the State Treasurer a copy of the audited financial statement and a statement of the actual cost associated with the preparation of the supplemental schedule required in this section. Upon submission to the State Treasurer, the municipality may retain and pay from the fines and assessments collected pursuant to this section the actual expense charged by the external auditor for the preparation of the supplemental schedule required in this subsection, not to exceed one thousand dollars each year.

(4) The clerk of court and municipal treasurer shall keep records of fines and assessments required to be reviewed pursuant to this subsection in the format determined by the municipal governing body and make those records available for review.

SECTION 14-1-209. Payment of fine and assessment in installments.

(A) If a payment for a fine and assessment levied in the circuit court is made in installments, the clerk of court must treat sixty-two percent of each installment as payment for a fine and distribute it pursuant to Section 14-1-205 and thirty-eight percent of each installment as payment for an assessment and distribute it pursuant to Section 14-1-206.

(B) If a payment for a fine and assessment levied in the magistrate's court is made in installments, the magistrate must treat 47 percent of each installment as payment for an assessment and distribute it pursuant to Section 14-1-207.

(C) If a payment for a fine and assessment levied in the municipal court is made in installments, the municipal court judge must treat 40 percent of each installment as payment for an assessment and distribute it pursuant to Section 14-1-208.

SECTION 14-1-210. Repealed by 1994 Act No. 497, Part II, Section 36U, eff January 1, 1995.



SECTION 14-1-211. General Sessions Court surcharge; fund retention for crime victim services; unused funds; reports; audits.

(A)(1) In addition to all other assessments and surcharges, a one hundred dollar surcharge is imposed on all convictions obtained in general sessions court and a twenty-five dollar surcharge is imposed on all convictions obtained in magistrate's and municipal court in this State. The surcharge must not be imposed on convictions for misdemeanor traffic offenses. However, the surcharge applies to all violations of Section 56-5-2930 and Section 56-5-2933. No portion of the surcharge may be waived, reduced, or suspended.

(2) In addition to all other assessments and surcharges, a one hundred dollar surcharge is imposed on all convictions pursuant to Section 56-5-2930 and Section 56-5-2933. No portion of the surcharges imposed pursuant to this section may be waived, reduced, or suspended.

(B) The revenue collected pursuant to subsection (A)(1) must be retained by the jurisdiction which heard or processed the case and paid to the city or county treasurer, for the purpose of providing services for the victims of crime, including those required by law. Any funds retained by the county or city treasurer pursuant to subsection (A)(1) must be deposited into a separate account for the exclusive use for all activities related to the requirements contained in this provision. For the purpose of funds allocation and expenditure, these funds are a part of the general funds of the city or county. These funds must be appropriated for the exclusive purpose of providing victim services as required by Chapter 3, Article 15 of Title 16; specifically, those service requirements that are imposed on local law enforcement, local detention facilities, prosecutors, and the summary courts. First priority must be given to those victims' assistance programs which are required by Chapter 3, Article 15 of Title 16 and second priority must be given to programs which expand victims' services beyond those required by Chapter 3, Article 15 of Title 16. These funds must be used for, but are not limited to, salaries, equipment that includes computer equipment and internet access, or other expenditures necessary for providing services to crime victims. All unused funds must be carried forward from year to year and used exclusively for the provision of services to the victims of crime. All unused funds must be separately identified in the governmental entity's adopted budget as funds unused and carried forward from previous years. The revenue collected pursuant to subsection (A)(2) must be paid over to the State Treasurer monthly and placed in a separate account to be used for spinal cord research by the Medical University of South Carolina.

All one-time operating and administrative costs for municipal and county governments related to computer upgrades or programming related to these surcharges shall be deducted from the revenue collected pursuant to subsection (A)(2) by municipal and county governments before remission of these funds to the State Treasurer. All operating, personnel, and administrative costs and expenses of the Spinal Cord Injury Research Board and its programs as established in Article 5, Chapter 38 of Title 44, must be paid for through revenue collected pursuant to subsection (A)(2) and deposited in this separate account. A report detailing the use of these funds must be furnished to the General Assembly on an annual basis.

(C) The surcharged revenue retained by the general sessions court, magistrate's, or municipal courts in this State pursuant to subsection (B) must be reported by the city or county treasurer to the State Treasurer monthly. All unused funds must be carried forward from year to year and used exclusively for the provision of services to the victims of crime. All unused funds must be separately identified in the governmental entity's adopted budget as funds unused and carried forward from previous years.

(D) To ensure that surcharges imposed pursuant to this section are properly collected and remitted to the city or county treasurer, the annual independent external audit required to be performed for each municipality pursuant to Section 5-7-240 and each county pursuant to Section 4-9-150 must include a review of the accounting controls over the collection, reporting, and distribution of surcharges from the point of collection to the point of distribution and a supplementary schedule detailing all surcharges collected at the court level, and the amount remitted to the municipality or county.

(1) The supplementary schedule must include the following elements:

(a) all surcharges collected by the clerk of court for the general sessions, magistrate's, or municipal court;

(b) the amount of surcharges retained by the city or county treasurer pursuant to this section;

(c) the amount of funds allocated to victim services by fund source; and

(d) how those funds were expended, and any carry forward balances.

(2) The supplementary schedule must be included in the external auditor's report by an "in relation to" paragraph as required by generally accepted auditing standards when information accompanies the basic financial statements in auditor submitted documents.

SECTION 14-1-212. Repealed by 1994 Act No. 497, Part II, Section 36U, eff January 1, 1995.



SECTION 14-1-213. Repealed by 1994 Act No. 497, Part II, Section 36U, eff January 1, 1995.



SECTION 14-1-214. Payment of fines, fees, court costs, etc., by credit or debit card.

(A) Clerks of court, magistrates, and municipal court judges may:

(1) accept payment by credit card or debit card of a fine, fee, assessment, court cost, or other surcharge; and

(2) impose a fee for processing payment by credit card. Notwithstanding fees imposed by other provisions of law, the clerk of court, magistrate, and municipal court judge must impose a separate fee on the person making a payment by credit card that wholly offsets the amount of administrative fees charged to the court.

(B) If a payment by credit card is not honored by the credit card company on which the funds are drawn:

(1) the court may collect a service charge from the person who owes the fine, fee, assessment, court cost, or other surcharge. The service charge is an addition to the original fine, fee, assessment, court cost, or other surcharge and is for the collection of that original amount. The amount of the service charge must be the same amount as the fee charged for the collection of a check drawn on an account with insufficient funds; and

(2) the underlying obligation survives and the state or local government retains all remedies for enforcement which would have applied if the credit card transaction had not occurred.

(C) The court collecting a fee or service charge pursuant to this section must deposit the credit card fee or service charge in the general fund of the court's respective governmental unit.

(D) The clerk of court, magistrate, or municipal court judge who accepts payment by credit card or debit card pursuant to this section may refuse acceptance of credit or debit cards of an individual if:

(1) the individual has been convicted of a violation of Chapter 14 of Title 16;

(2) the individual has previously tendered to the court a credit or debit card or credit or debit card information which did not ultimately result in payment by the credit or debit card issuer;

(3) the bank or credit card issuer does not authorize payment; or

(4) the validity of the credit or debit card is not verifiable.

SECTION 14-1-215. Retired judges or justices may preside in certain courts.

A retired judge or justice from the Supreme Court, court of appeals, or circuit court of this State may be assigned by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to preside over any official proceeding in any circuit court of this State. A retired judge or justice from the Supreme Court or court of appeals of this State may be assigned by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to act as an associate justice or judge in any proceeding before the Supreme Court or court of appeals. A retired judge from the family court of this State may be assigned by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to preside over any official proceeding in any family court of this State.

In order to be eligible to be appointed by the Chief Justice to serve, any retired justice or judge of this State must have been reviewed in the manner provided in Section 2-19-10 et seq. and found by the commission to be qualified to serve in these situations within two years of the date of his appointment to serve, except that if a justice or judge retired before the expiration of his then current term, no further review of that justice or judge is required until that term would have expired.

SECTION 14-1-216. Prohibition against assignment of family court judge to circuit court; exceptions.

No active family court judge may be assigned to preside over any official proceeding in the circuit court except that the Chief Justice may appoint an active family court judge as a special circuit court judge to accept grand jury presentments and to accept and impose sentences for pleas of guilty and nolo contendere.

SECTION 14-1-220. Transmittal of monies received from cost of court assessments; deposit of funds collected from offenders in restitution centers.

Each city recorder, mayor, or municipal clerk of court or other person who receives monies from the cost of court assessments in criminal or traffic cases in the municipal courts shall transmit all these monies to the Office of State Treasurer. Each county clerk of court, magistrate, or other person who receives monies from the cost of court assessments in general sessions or magistrates courts shall transmit all these monies to the county treasurer of the county. These transmittals must be made no less frequently than once each month, and must be completed on or before the fifteenth day of the month following the month being reported. The municipal clerk of court or county treasurer shall then forward the total sum collected to the State Treasurer on or before the twenty-fifth day of the month. Any municipality in this State may enter into a mutual agreement with the county in which it is located to provide for joint collections and transmittals under those terms and conditions as the respective bodies may agree. In these cases, receipts and transmittals required by this section shall reflect, in the report of transmittal to the State Treasurer, the collection and forwarding of all monies from the named sources.

The Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services shall deposit with the State Treasurer funds collected from offenders in restitution centers for credit to the same account as funds collected under Section 14-1-210.

SECTION 14-1-230. Recording of monthly submissions by State Treasurer; location and utilization of funds.

The State Treasurer shall record, before the last day of that same month, the total monthly submissions of monies from the respective county treasurers and municipal clerks of courts, and the Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services shall deposit these monies into a separate and restricted account. Funds deposited to this account shall remain in the account from fiscal year to fiscal year and shall be available to the General Assembly for appropriation to programs established pursuant to Chapter 21 of Title 24.

SECTION 14-1-235. Appointment of attorney in civil action

A judge, court, or court official shall not appoint an attorney to represent a party in a civil action unless the authority to make the appointment is provided specifically by statute.