South Carolina Supreme Court facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Supreme Court of South Carolina |
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| Established | 1841 |
| Country |  South Carolina |
| Location | Columbia |
| Motto | "NIL ULTRA" |
| Composition method | Election by the General Assembly |
| Authorized by | S.C. Const. art. V, §§ 1-2 |
| Decisions are appealed to | Supreme Court of the United States |
| Judge term length | Ten years, staggered |
| Number of positions | 5 |
| Website | Supreme Court |
| Chief Justice | |
| Currently | Donald W. Beatty |
| Since | February 1, 2017 |
| Lead position ends | 2027 |
| Jurist term ends | 2024 |
The South Carolina Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices.
Selection of Justices
Judges are selected by the legislature of South Carolina to serve terms of ten years. There is no prohibition against justices serving multiple terms on the court. However, there is a mandatory retirement age of 72 for state trial judges and state appellate judges in South Carolina.
Current Justices of the Court
| Justice | Born | Joined the Court | Current term ends | Reaches age 72 | Law School |
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| Donald W. Beatty, Chief Justice | 1952 (age 68–69) | May 23, 2007 (as Associate Justice} February 1, 2017 (as Chief) |
2024 | 2024 | South Carolina |
| John W. Kittredge | September 28, 1956 | August 1, 2008 | 2028 | 2028 | |
| Kaye Gorenflo Hearn | January 30, 1950 | January 14, 2010 | 2022 | 2022 | |
| John Cannon Few | April 9, 1963 | January 1, 2016 | 2026 | 2035 | |
| George C. James | June 2, 1960 | February 2017 | 2030 | 2032 |
History
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Supreme Court of South Carolina Building
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Supreme Court of South Carolina Building, December 2009
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| Location | 1231 Gervais St., Columbia, South Carolina |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1917–1921 |
| Architect | Gill & Wilkins; Andrew V. Kerns |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001220 |
| Added to NRHP | October 18, 1972 |
The Supreme Court of South Carolina Building is located in the state capital of Columbia. The court moved into its current location, a former United States Post Office building, in 1971. It was built between 1917 and 1921, and is a two-story, Neo-Classical style building. The building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972. Prior to 1971, the court met in a section of the South Carolina State House in an area totaling approximately 1,400 square feet (130 m2); the justices did not have individual offices, but instead met in a common conference room when not presiding over a session of court.
Controversy arose in late 2007 after The State newspaper reported that the Supreme Court reversed the grades of 20 people who failed the South Carolina bar exam, including children of prominent attorneys, by voiding the results of the wills, trusts, and estates section of the exam.
From 1930 to 2016, the South Carolina Supreme Court has had 17 Chief Justices.
