Current Status Bill Number:225 Type of Legislation:Joint Resolution JR Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19950110 Primary Sponsor:Ford All Sponsors:Ford Drafted Document Number:RES9431.RF Residing Body:Senate Current Committee:Judiciary Committee 11 SJ Subject:Judicial circuits, apportionment of
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved
______ ________ _______________________________________ _______ ____________
Senate 19950110 Introduced, read first time, 11 SJ
referred to Committee
Senate 19941017 Prefiled, referred to Committee 11 SJ
View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
TO CREATE A JOINT STUDY COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT OF REQUIRING THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DIVIDE THE STATE INTO JUDICIAL CIRCUITS OF COMPACT AND CONTIGUOUS TERRITORY WITH THREE CIRCUITS COMPOSING EACH OF THE SIX CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS, THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY REAPPORTION JUDICIAL CIRCUITS DECENNIALLY TO ENSURE THAT EACH HAS APPROXIMATELY THE SAME POPULATION, AND THAT EACH CIRCUIT JUDGE SHALL BE ELECTED BY A PUBLIC VOTE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY REPRESENTING ANY PORTION OF A DISTRICT WITHIN A JUDICIAL CIRCUIT.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 8-13-755 of the 1976 Code, a joint study committee shall be formed to study the administrative implementation and impact of requiring: (1) that the General Assembly divide the State into judicial circuits of compact and contiguous territory with each of the six congressional districts composed of three circuits; (2) that the General Assembly reapportion judicial circuits decennially to ensure that each has approximately the same population; and (3) that each circuit judge shall be elected by a public vote of the members of the General Assembly representing any portion of a district within a judicial circuit; provided, that in any contested election, the vote of each member present and voting shall be recorded.
The members of the committee shall consist of the following seventeen members to be appointed within thirty days of the effective date of this act:
(1) three senators to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall serve as chairperson;
(2) three representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(3) five members to be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, two of whom to be clerks of court;
(4) three circuit solicitors to be appointed by the Attorney General; and
(5) three members to be appointed by the President of the South Carolina Bar Association.
A majority of the members appointed shall constitute a quorum. The committee shall report the findings of its study and any recommendation for legislative action to the General Assembly no later than March 1, 1996. The expenses of the legislative members of this study committee shall be paid from the accounts of their respective bodies. The expenses of the members of the study committee shall be paid by their appointing authority.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.