A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 14-5-610, RELATING TO THE DIVISION OF THE STATE INTO SIXTEEN JUDICIAL CIRCUITS, THE NUMBER OF JUDGES TO BE ELECTED FROM EACH CIRCUIT, AND THE ELECTION OF AT-LARGE JUDGES WITHOUT REGARD TO COUNTY OR CIRCUIT OF RESIDENCE, SO AS TO CONVERT THREE AT-LARGE CIRCUIT COURT SEATS TO RESIDENT SEATS IN THE FIRST, THIRD, AND EIGHTH CIRCUITS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 63-3-40, RELATING TO THE NUMBER OF FAMILY COURT JUDGES TO BE ELECTED FROM EACH CIRCUIT, SO AS TO CONVERT FOUR AT-LARGE FAMILY COURT SEATS TO RESIDENT SEATS IN THE FIFTH, TENTH, AND TWELFTH CIRCUITS.

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

 

SECTION 1.  Section 14-5-610 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    Section 14-5-610.   (A) The State is divided into sixteen judicial circuits as follows:

       (1) The first circuit is composed of the counties of Calhoun, Dorchester, and Orangeburg.

       (2) The second circuit is composed of the counties of Aiken, Bamberg, and Barnwell.

       (3) The third circuit is composed of the counties of Clarendon, Lee, Sumter, and Williamsburg.

       (4) The fourth circuit is composed of the counties of Chesterfield, Darlington, Marlboro, and Dillon.

       (5) The fifth circuit is composed of the counties of Kershaw and Richland.

       (6) The sixth circuit is composed of the counties of Chester, Lancaster, and Fairfield.

       (7) The seventh circuit is composed of the counties of Cherokee and Spartanburg.

       (8) The eighth circuit is composed of the counties of Abbeville, Greenwood, Laurens, and Newberry.

       (9) The ninth circuit is composed of the counties of Charleston and Berkeley.

       (10) The tenth circuit is composed of the counties of Anderson and Oconee.

       (11) The eleventh circuit is composed of the counties of Lexington, McCormick, Saluda, and Edgefield.

       (12) The twelfth circuit is composed of the counties of Florence and Marion.

       (13) The thirteenth circuit is composed of the counties of Greenville and Pickens.

       (14) The fourteenth circuit is composed of the counties of Allendale, Hampton, Colleton, Jasper,

and Beaufort.

       (15) The fifteenth circuit is composed of the counties of Georgetown and Horry.

       (16) The sixteenth circuit is composed of the counties of York and Union.

    (B) One judge must be elected from the sixth circuit.  Two judges must be elected from the first, second, fourth, eighth, tenth, and sixteenth circuits.  Three judges must be elected from the thirdfirst, seventh, eighth, eleventh, twelfth, fourteenth, and fifteenth circuits. Four judges must be elected from the third circuit.  Five judges must be elected from the fifth, ninth, and thirteenth circuits.

    (C) In addition to the above judges authorized by this section, there must be seven additional circuit judges elected by the General Assembly from the State at large for terms of office of six years. These additional judges must be elected without regard to county or circuit of residence. Each office of the at-large judges is a separate office and is assigned numerical designations of Seat No. 1 through Seat No. 74, respectively.

 

SECTION 2.  (A) Upon the effective date of this act:

       (1) At-large Circuit Court Seat 7 is converted to a resident seat and designated First Circuit Court Seat 3.

       (2) At-large Circuit Court Seat 1 is converted to a resident seat and designated Third Circuit Court Seat 4.

       (3) At-large Circuit Court Seat 4 is converted to a resident seat and designated Eighth Circuit Court Seat 3.

    (B) Nothing in this act may be construed to require a judge currently serving in an at-large circuit court seat which is converted to a resident circuit court seat pursuant to this act to undergo additional screening until the end of the term for which they were screened and duly elected to an at-large circuit court seat.

 

SECTION 3.  Section 63-3-40 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    Section 63-3-40. (A) The General Assembly shall elect a number of family court judges from each judicial circuit as follows:

30	First Circuit	Four Judges
31	Second Circuit	Two Judges
32	Third Circuit	Three Judges
33	Fourth Circuit	Three Judges
34	Fifth Circuit	FourSix Judges
35	Sixth Circuit	Two Judges
36	Seventh Circuit	Four Judges

1	Eighth Circuit	Three Judges
2	Ninth Circuit	Seven Judges
3	Tenth Circuit	ThreeFour Judges
4	Eleventh Circuit	Four Judges
5	Twelfth Circuit	ThreeFour Judges
6	Thirteenth Circuit	Six Judges
7	Fourteenth Circuit	Four Judges
8	Fifteenth Circuit	Three Judges
9	Sixteenth Circuit	Three Judges

 

    (B) In the following judicial circuits at least one family court judge must be a resident of each county in the circuit:  fifth, seventh, tenth, twelfth, thirteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth. In those judicial circuits made up of three or more counties, at least one family court judge must be a resident of one of the counties which does not have the largest population in the circuit. In the ninth circuit, both counties in the circuit must have at least two resident family court judges.

    (C) No county in the sixth circuit shall have more than one resident family court judge.

    (D) In addition to the judges authorized by this section, there must be eightfour additional family court judges elected by the General Assembly from the State at large for terms of office of six years. These additional judges must be elected without regard to county or circuit of residence. Each office of the at-large judges is a separate office and is assigned numerical designations of Seat No. 1 through Seat No. 84, respectively.

 

SECTION 4.  (A) Upon the effective date of this act:

       (1) At-large Family Court Seat 8 is converted to a resident seat and designated as Fifth Circuit Family Court Seat 5.

       (2) At-large Family Court Seat 4 is converted to a resident seat and designated as Fifth Circuit Family Court Seat 6.

       (3) At-large Family Court Seat 6 is converted to a resident seat and designated as Tenth Circuit Family Court Seat 4.

       (4) At-large Family Court Seat 3 is converted to a resident seat and designated as Twelfth Circuit Family Court Seat 4.

(B) Nothing in this act may be construed to require a judge currently serving in an at-large family court seat which is converted to a resident family court seat pursuant to this act to undergo additional screening until the end of the term for which they were screened and duly elected to an at-large circuit court seat.

 

SECTION 5.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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