The Supreme Court of South Carolina
O R D E R
The judges of the magistrate courts of South Carolina being a part of the uniform statewide judicial system, and pursuant to the provisions of Article V, Section 4, South Carolina Constitution,
IT IS ORDERED that each magistrate of this State shall try or otherwise dispose of all civil cases, in absence of good cause shown to the court, within ninety (90) days of the date on which the complaint, or other pleading initiating the action, was filed but service cannot be effectuated within the ninety (90) day period, the magistrate may issue an order dismissing the action with leave to restore.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the magistrate shall report to the Office of South Carolina Court Administration the reason that any case has not been tried or otherwise disposed of within the sixty (90) day period (1). This report will be provided on a monthly basis to the Office of South Carolina Court Administration, and shall be made a part of the Magistrate's Summary Court Report Form.
Failure to comply with this Order shall subject the magistrate so failing to penalties as for contempt of court.
s/ J. Woodrow Lewis J. Woodrow Lewis Chief Justice |
Columbia, South Carolina
June 26, 1980
1. EDITOR'S NOTE: Monthly written report no longer required of magistrates.