Current Status Introducing Body:House Bill Number:4581 Primary Sponsor:Ross Committee Number:25 Type of Legislation:GB Subject:General sessions court, traffic division Residing Body:House Current Committee:Judiciary Computer Document Number:CYY/18968.SD Introduced Date:Mar 19, 1992 Last History Body:House Last History Date:Mar 19, 1992 Last History Type:Introduced, read first time, referred to Committee Scope of Legislation:Statewide All Sponsors:Ross Type of Legislation:General Bill
Bill Body Date Action Description CMN ---- ------ ------------ ------------------------------ --- 4581 House Mar 19, 1992 Introduced, read first time, 25 referred to CommitteeView additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 14-5-460 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT IN EACH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF THIS STATE A DIVISION OF THE COURT OF GENERAL SESSIONS TO BE KNOWN AS THE "TRAFFIC DIVISION" IS ESTABLISHED, TO PROVIDE FOR THE OFFENSES WHICH ARE TRIABLE IN THE TRAFFIC DIVISION, TO PROVIDE THAT THESE OFFENSES MUST BE TRIED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF THE OFFENSE, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE ASSIGNMENT OF JUDGES FOR THIS DIVISION AND FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH JURORS MUST BE SUMMONED AND DRAWN.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 14-5-460. (A) In each circuit court of this State, a division of the court of general sessions to be known as the `traffic division' is established. The clerk of court of each county shall assign to the traffic division all cases involving an unlawful operation of a motor vehicle and all violations of the traffic laws of this State over which the circuit court has jurisdiction, except that the offenses of murder, reckless homicide, manslaughter arising out of the operation of a motor vehicle, and the offense of felony DUI are triable in the court of general sessions and not in the traffic division.
(B) The case of any person charged with an offense which is under the jurisdiction of the traffic division must be tried or otherwise disposed of within thirty days of the offense.
(C) The chief administrative judge of each circuit, under the supervision of the chief justice, shall assign circuit judges to sit in the traffic division. Notwithstanding the prohibitions contained in Sections 14-1-215 and 14-1-216, active and retired family court judges may be assigned to preside over proceedings of the traffic division.
(D) Jurors for the traffic division must be summoned and drawn in the same manner and from the same venire that jurors for the court of general sessions are summoned and drawn."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.