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Bill 1274

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      1274
Type of Legislation:              Concurrent Resolution CR
Introducing Body:                 Senate
Introduced Date:                  20000323
Primary Sponsor:                  Leventis
All Sponsors:                     Leventis, Land, Drummond, Holland, 
                                  Saleeby, J. Verne Smith, Setzler, Leatherman, 
                                  McConnell, Moore, Peeler, Bryan, Courson, 
                                  Giese, Matthews, Thomas, Wilson, Patterson, 
                                  Russell, McGill, O'Dell, Passailaigue, 
                                  Washington, Reese, Hayes, Courtney, Elliott, 
                                  Ford, Glover, Gregory, Jackson, Martin, 
                                  Mescher, Rankin, Ryberg, Short, Waldrep, 
                                  Alexander, Fair, Hutto, Anderson, Ravenel, 
                                  Branton, Grooms, Bauer, Richardson
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\psd\7102jm00.doc
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:     20000323
Subject:                          The Honorable Ernest A. Finney, Jr.; 
                                  Resolutions


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
Senate  20000323  Received from House
House   20000323  Introduced, adopted, returned
                  with concurrence
Senate  20000323  Introduced, adopted, sent to House


              Versions of This Bill

SALUTING THE HONORABLE ERNEST A. FINNEY, JR., OF SUMTER COUNTY, CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT, THANKING HIM FOR HIS MANY YEARS OF OUTSTANDING AND DEVOTED SERVICE TO THE STATE, AND WISHING HIM SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS FOLLOWING HIS RETIREMENT AS CHIEF JUSTICE.

Whereas, The Honorable Ernest Adolphus Finney, Jr., was born March 23, 1931, in Smithfield, Virginia and graduated from Claflin College in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and from South Carolina State University in 1954 with a Juris Doctor degree; and

Whereas, he served as chairman of the South Carolina Advisory Committee on Civil Rights in 1963, and was a member of the South Carolina State Election Commission from 1968 to 1972; and

Whereas, Chief Justice Finney also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Claflin College and is a Mason and a Shriner and a dedicated member of the NAACP; and

Whereas, he rendered outstanding service to the people of Sumter County and to the State as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1973 to 1976, and was chairman of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus from 1973 to 1975; and

Whereas, he was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of South Carolina-Coastal Carolina College in 1991, the Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree by Claflin College in 1977, the Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by The Citadel and Johnson C. Smith University in 1995, the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the College of Charleston in 1995, the Doctor of Humane Letters by South Carolina State University in 1996, and the Doctor of Laws degree by Morris College, also in 1996; and

Whereas, Chief Justice Finney was honored by the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association in 1992, with a portrait presentation and a scholarship donation in his name to the School of Law of the University of South Carolina; and

Whereas, he was elected Judge of the Third Judicial Circuit July 22, 1976, and served in that position until he was elected Associate Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court in 1985, and was re-elected as Associate Justice in 1990; and

Whereas, he was elected Chief Justice of South Carolina on May 11, 1994, to fill the unexpired term of The Honorable A. Lee Chandler upon the latter's retirement on December 16, 1994; in this regard, Chief Justice Finney achieved the distinction of becoming the Palmetto State's first African-American Chief Justice; and

Whereas, he has devoted many long hours toward improving the operation of the state's courts, the caliber of the entire judicial system, and the dispensing of justice for the people of South Carolina; and

Whereas, he is respected, admired, and loved across South Carolina; he is renowned for his legal knowledge and abilities and is admired for his devotion to his family and to his church, Emmanuel United Methodist Church of Sumter; and

Whereas, he has rendered outstanding public service to the State of South Carolina throughout his adult life for which all South Carolinians are truly grateful; he is retiring as Chief Justice on March 23, 2000, his birthday, but will forever be remembered as a great South Carolinian; and

Whereas, he is due the thanks of the state's citizenry for his superb public service and an expression of best wishes for success and happiness in the years to come. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, salutes The Honorable Ernest A. Finney, Jr., of Sumter County, Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, thanks him for his many years of outstanding and devoted service to the State, and wishes him success and happiness following his retirement as Chief Justice.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Chief Justice Finney.

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