H*4472 Session 111 (1995-1996)
H*4472(Rat #0536, Act #0455 of 1996) General Bill, By Klauber, Allison, Bailey,
H. Brown, B.D. Cain, Carnell, Cato, Dantzler, R.C. Fulmer, H.M. Hallman,
J.L. Harris, Kirsh, Koon, L.H. Limbaugh, Phillips, Richardson, Sandifer,
Seithel, R. Smith, Spearman, D.C. Waldrop, C.C. Wells, Wilkins, S.S. Wofford,
W.J. Young and Young-Brickell
Similar(S 950)
A Bill to amend Title 24, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to
corrections and prisoners, by adding Chapter 27 so as to require specified
filing fees and court costs relating to inmate litigation, to provide for the
loss of earned work release credits under certain circumstances, to prevent a
prisoner from bringing certain civil actions or appeals if he has been found
on three or more occasions of having instituted frivolous litigation, to
provide that this Chapter is not applicable to certain cases that require an
indigent person be allowed access to the courts; and to provide a severability
clause.-amended title
01/18/96 House Introduced and read first time HJ-8
01/18/96 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-8
02/14/96 House Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Judiciary HJ-7
02/21/96 House Amended HJ-32
02/21/96 House Read second time HJ-35
02/22/96 House Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-23
02/27/96 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-13
02/27/96 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-13
05/15/96 Senate Committee report: Majority favorable with amend.,
minority unfavorable Judiciary SJ-24
05/30/96 Senate Minority report withdrawn SJ-75
05/30/96 Senate Amended SJ-116
05/30/96 Senate Read second time SJ-116
05/30/96 Senate Ordered to third reading with notice of
amendments SJ-116
06/13/96 Senate Read third time and returned to House with
amendments SJ-53
06/13/96 House Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled HJ-18
06/26/96 Ratified R 536
07/03/96 Signed By Governor
07/03/96 Effective date 07/03/96
07/12/96 Copies available
07/16/96 Act No. 455
(R536, H4472)
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH
CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO CORRECTIONS AND
PRISONERS, BY ADDING CHAPTER 27 SO AS TO REQUIRE
SPECIFIED FILING FEES AND COURT COSTS RELATING TO
INMATE LITIGATION, TO PROVIDE FOR THE LOSS OF EARNED
RELEASE CREDITS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, TO
PREVENT A PRISONER FROM BRINGING CERTAIN CIVIL
ACTIONS OR APPEALS IF HE HAS BEEN FOUND ON THREE OR
MORE OCCASIONS OF HAVING INSTITUTED FRIVOLOUS
LITIGATION, TO PROVIDE THAT THIS CHAPTER IS NOT
APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN CASES THAT REQUIRE AN INDIGENT
PERSON BE ALLOWED ACCESS TO THE COURTS; AND TO
PROVIDE A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South
Carolina:
Inmate litigation
SECTION 1. Title 24 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"CHAPTER 27
Inmate Litigation
Article 1
Filing Fees and Court Costs
Section 24-27-100. Unless another provision of law permits the filing
of civil actions without the payment of filing fees by indigent persons, if
a prisoner brings a civil action or proceeding, the court, upon the filing
of the action, shall order the prisoner to pay as a partial payment of any
filing fees required by law a first-time payment of twenty percent of the
preceding six months' income from the prisoner's trust account
administered by the Department of Corrections and thereafter monthly
payments of ten percent of the preceding month's income for this
account. The department shall withdraw the monies maintained in the
prisoner's trust account for payment of filing fees and shall forward
quarterly the monies collected to the appropriate court clerk or clerks
until the filing fees are paid in full.
The prisoner must file a certified copy of his trust account with the
court that reflects the prisoner's balance at the time the complaint is filed
unless the prisoner does not have a trust account.
Section 24-27-110. Unless another provision of law permits the filing
of civil actions without the payment of court costs by indigent persons, if
a prisoner brings a civil action, the prisoner is responsible for the full
payment of the court costs. For this purpose, the court shall order the
prisoner to pay a partial first-time payment of twenty percent of the
preceding six months' income from the prisoner's trust account
administered by the Department of Corrections and thereafter monthly
payments of ten percent of the preceding month's income of this account.
The department shall withdraw the monies maintained in the prisoner's
trust account for payment of court costs and shall forward quarterly the
monies collected to the appropriate court clerk or clerks until the court
costs are paid in full.
Section 24-27-120. Nothing in this chapter prevents a prisoner from
authorizing payments beyond those required herein.
Section 24-27-130. The court may dismiss without prejudice any civil
action pertaining to the prisoner's incarceration or apprehension brought
by a prisoner who has previously failed to pay filing fees and court costs
imposed under this chapter, except as otherwise provided in Section
24-27-150 or 24-27-400.
Section 24-27-140. For purposes of this chapter, a prisoner is defined
as a person who has been convicted of a crime and is incarcerated for
that crime or is being held in custody for trial or sentencing.
Section 24-27-150. If a prisoner does not have a trust account, or if
the prisoner's trust account does not contain sufficient funds to make the
first-time payments required by this chapter, the civil action may still be
filed, but the prisoner shall remain responsible for the full payment of
filing fees and court costs. Payments of ten percent of the preceding
month's income of the prisoner's trust account, as set forth in this
chapter, shall be made from the prisoner's trust account as soon as a trust
account is created for the prisoner and funds are available in the
account.
Article 2
Loss of Earned Release Credits
Section 24-27-200. A prisoner shall forfeit all or part of his earned
work, education, or good conduct credits in an amount to be determined
by the Department of Corrections upon recommendation of the court if
the court finds that the prisoner has done any of the following in a case
pertaining to his incarceration or apprehension filed by him in state or
federal court or in an administrative proceeding while incarcerated:
(1) submitted a malicious or frivolous claim, or one that is intended
solely to harass the party filed against;
(2) testified falsely or otherwise presented false evidence or
information to the court;
(3) unreasonably expanded or delayed a proceeding; or
(4) abused the discovery process.
The court may make such findings on its own motion, on motion of
counsel for the defendant, or on motion of the Attorney General, who is
authorized to appear in the proceeding, if he elects, in order to move for
the findings in a case in which the State or any public entity or official is
a defendant.
Section 24-27-210. If the court does not make such findings in the
original action brought by the prisoner, the Attorney General is
authorized to initiate a separate proceeding in the court of common pleas
for the court to recommend to the Department of Corrections the
revocation of work, education, or good conduct credits as set forth in
Section 24-27-200.
Section 24-27-220. Nothing in this chapter shall affect the discretion of
the Director of the Department of Corrections in determining whether or
not a prisoner's earned work, education, or good conduct credits shall be
forfeited.
Article 3
Successive Claims
Section 24-27-300. The court may hold a prisoner in contempt of court
if it finds that the prisoner has, on three or more prior occasions, while
incarcerated, brought in a court of this State a civil action or appeal
pertaining to his incarceration or apprehension that was dismissed prior to
a hearing on the merits on the grounds that the action or appeal was
frivolous, malicious, or meritless. However, if the court finds the
prisoner was under imminent danger of great bodily injury, as defined by
Section 56-5-2945, at the time of the filing of the present action or
appeal, the prisoner shall not be held in contempt. The court may
sentence the prisoner to a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year
for this contempt to be served consecutively to any terms of
imprisonment previously imposed.
Article 4
Inapplicability Where Access to Courts
Constitutionally Required
Section 24-27-400. This chapter is inapplicable to any case in which the
Constitution of the United States or the Constitution of South Carolina
requires that an indigent person be allowed access to the courts."
Severability clause
SECTION 2. If any portion of this act is for any reason held to be
unconstitutional or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such holding
shall not affect the constitutionality or validity of the remaining portions of
this act. The General Assembly hereby declares that it would have passed
this act, and each section thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or
more other sections or portions thereof may be declared to be
unconstitutional, invalid, or otherwise ineffective.
Time effective
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
In the Senate House June 26, 1996.
Robert L. Peeler,
President of the Senate
David H. Wilkins,
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
Approved the 3rd day of July, 1996.
David M. Beasley,
Governor
Printer's Date -- July 9, 1996 -- S.
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