A house RESOLUTION

 

To recognize and celebrate the Honorable Ernest A. "Chip" Finney III upon the occasion of his retirement after sixteen years of exemplary service as Solicitor of the Third Judicial Circuit.

 

Whereas, it is altogether fitting and proper that the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives should pause in their deliberations to express their gratitude to Ernest A. Finney III for his significant contributions to the Third Judicial Circuit; and

 

Whereas, the first-born son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Finney Jr., Ernest "Chip" Finney graduated from Sumter High School in 1973. He furthered his education at Wofford College, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1977. He then attended the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1980. He earned admission to the South Carolina Bar and the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1981; and

 

Whereas, after school, he returned home to practice law in the firm that his father founded. He quickly earned a reputation as a successful trial attorney and practitioner of the law, representing both individuals and corporations in the state and federal courts throughout South Carolina; and

 

Whereas, Mr. Finney served as a general practitioner for over thirty years. He also served as a staff attorney with a Public Defenders Corporation, and in 2004 he was selected as a municipal court judge for the City of Columbia, serving until 2010; and

 

Whereas, he was elected to serve as the solicitor for the Third Judicial Circuit in November of 2010. This district covers Sumter County, Clarendon County, Lee County, and Williamsburg County. He has since been reelected without opposition in 2014, 2018, and 2022. Solicitor Finney has worked tirelessly throughout the years to improve the Third Judicial Circuit. Most recently he has worked on updating staff and streamlining the case management system in order to move cases more efficiently through general sessions court; and

 

Whereas, Solicitor Finney has been elected to serve many positions throughout his career: president of the South Carolina Black Lawyers Association, president of the South Carolina Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, president of The Goodfellows Club of Sumter, president of the Sumter County Bar Association, vice president of the South Carolina Solicitor's Association, and board member of The South Carolina Supreme Court Historical Society. He has also graciously been a guest lecturer on various legal topics and continuing legal education seminars over the past twenty years; and

 

Whereas, Solicitor Finney is a proud member of St. Paul Lodge No. 8 (PHA) and is a life member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and reading historical accounts on politics and society; and

 

Whereas, he recently celebrated twenty-three years of marriage with his beloved wife Tammy Melinda Finney. Together they reared four children and have been blessed with two wonderful grandchildren; and

 

Whereas, grateful for his many years of distinguished service to the Third Judicial Circuit, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives take great pleasure in extending best wishes to the Honorable Ernest A. Finney III, as he transitions to a richly deserved retirement and the leisurely pace of the days ahead. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

 

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and celebrate the Honorable Ernest A. "Chip" Finney III upon the occasion of his retirement after sixteen years of exemplary service as solicitor of the Third Judicial Circuit.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Ernest A. Finney III.

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