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South Carolina
Judicial Branch
Supreme Court - Roster of Cases for Hearing

   
The summary below each case is prepared to offer lawyers and the public a general overview of what issues are included in a case which will be argued. The summary is not a limit on what issues a party to a case may present at oral argument.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Supreme Court Courtroom
 09:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2020-001371   Barry Clarke, Petitioner, v. Fine Housing, Inc. and RRJR, L.L.C., Defendants, Of which Fine Housing, Inc. is the Respondent.

Ashley G. Andrews, of Lafond Law Group, P.A., of Charleston and Thomas R. Goldstein, of Belk, Cobb, Infinger & Goldstein P.A., of North Charleston, for Petitioner. W. Cliff Moore and Kirby Darr Shealy, of Adams and Reese, LLP, of Columbia, for Respondent.

The Court granted a writ of certiorari to review the court of appeals' decision in Clarke v. Fine Housing, Inc., Op. No. 2020-UP-238 (S.C. Ct. App. filed Aug. 12, 2020). The Court will decide whether the trial court correctly determined that Petitioner could exercise a right of first refusal to acquire certain real property.

 10:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2021-000332   The State, Respondent, v. Tyrone Anthony Wallace, Jr., Petitioner.

Appellate Defender Susan Barber Hackett, of Columbia, for Petitioner. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson, Deputy Attorney General Donald J. Zelenka, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Melody Jane Brown, and Assistant Attorney General William Joseph Maye, all of Columbia, and Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Solicitor, Isaac McDuffie Stone, of Bluffton, for Respondent.

The Court granted a writ of certiorari to review the court of appeals' decision in State v. Wallace, 2021-UP-029 (S.C. Ct. App. filed Jan. 27, 2021). The Court will determine whether an expert witness was properly qualified to give an opinion regarding cell site location information.

Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Supreme Court Courtroom
 09:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 20-20-5)  
2021-000343   South Carolina Public Interest Foundation and John Crangle, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Appellants, v. Alan Wilson, Attorney General for the State of South Carolina, Willoughby & Hoefer, P.A., and Davidson, Wren & DeMasters, P.A., Respondents.

James M. Griffin, Badge Humphries and Margaret N. Fox, all of Griffin Humphries LLC, of Columbia, James G. Carpenter, of The Carpenter Law Firm, of Columbia, all for Appellants. William H. Davidson, II, Kenneth P. Woodington, both of Davidson, Wren and DeMasters, of Columbia, for Respondent Davidson, Wren & DeMasters, PA. Attorney General Alan Wilson, Solicitor Robert D. Cook an Deputy Solicitor General J. Emory Smith, JR. of Columbia for Respondent, Attorney General. John S. Simmons, Simmons Law Firm, LLC, and J. Todd Rutherford, Rutherford Law Firm, LLC, both of Columbia and Gerald Malloy, Malloy Law Firm, of Hartsville, for Respondent Willoughby & Hoefer, PA.

Attorney General Alan Wilson hired two private law firms to represent the State in litigation related to the storage of weapons-grade plutonium at the Savannah River Site. After reaching a settlement agreement with the federal government, Wilson transferred $75 million in attorneys' fees to the law firms. Appellants filed suit against Wilson and the law firms, alleging the transfer was unconstitutional and unreasonable. The circuit court granted Respondents' motions to dismiss for lack of standing, and we certified the appeal to consider whether the circuit court's dismissal was proper.

 10:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2021-000005   Stephany A. Connelly and James M. Connelly, Plaintiffs, v. The Main Street America Group, Old Dominion Insurance Company, Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company, Debbie Cohn, and Freya Trezona, Defendants, Of which Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company, The Main Street America Group, and Old Dominion Insurance Company are the Petitioners, And Stephany A. Connelly and James M. Connelly are the Respondents.

Alfred Johnston Cox and Kendall Patricia Crawford, both of Gallivan, White & Boyd, PA, of Columbia, for Petitioner Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company. Thomas Frank Dougall and Michal Kalwajtys, both of Dougall & Collins, of Elgin, for Petitioners The Main Street America Group and Old Dominion Insurance Company. John D. Kassel and Theile Branham McVey, both of Kassell McVey, of Columbia, and Bert Glenn Utsey, III, of Clawson Fargnoli Utsey LLC, of Charleston, for Respondents.

The Court granted a writ of certiorari to review the court of appeals' decision in Connelly v. Main Street America Group, 432 S.C. 122, 850 S.E.2d 627 (Ct. App. 2020).

Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Supreme Court Courtroom
 10:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2020-001693   State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Petitioner, v. Myra M. Windham, Respondent.

Alfred Johnston Cox and Jessica Ann Waller of Gallivan, White & Boyd, PA, of Columbia, for Appellant. Stephen H. Cook and John K. Koon, of Koon Cook & Walters, LLC, of Columbia, for Respondent.

Myra Windham was injured in an automobile accident while driving a rental car she purportedly used as a temporary substitute vehicle. The issue before the Court is whether she can stack her UIM coverage from five vehicles listed on her insurance policy. The circuit court determined she could not stack UIM coverage, but the court of appeals reversed.

Thursday, April 28, 2022
Supreme Court Courtroom
 09:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2021-000076   The State, Respondent, v. Craig Carl Busse, Petitioner.

Vicki D. Koutsagiannis and James Ross Snell, Jr., both of Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr., LLC, of Lexington, for Petitioner. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General William M. Blitch, Jr. and Solicitor, Eighth Judicial Circuit, David Matthew Stumbo, all for Respondent.

The Court granted a writ of certiorari to review the court of appeals' decision in State v. Busse, 2020-UP-307 (S.C. Ct. App. filed Nov. 12, 2020). The Court will determine whether the solicitor improperly vouched for the victim's credibility in his closing argument.

 10:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2021-000137   Cleo Sanders, Respondent, v. Savannah Highway Automotive Company, a General Partnership d/b/a Rick Hendrick Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, Santander Consumer USA Holdings, Inc., Isiah S. White, Danny Anderson, and Patrick Bachrodt, Jr., Defendants, Of which Savannah Highway Automotive Company, a General Partnership d/b/a Rick Hendrick Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram and Isiah S. White are the Petitioners.

John Thomas Lay, Jr. and Jessica Ann Waller, both of Gallivan, White & Boyd, PA, of Columbia, for Petitioners. C. Steven Moskos, of C. Steven Moskos, PA, Brooks Roberts Fudenberg, of The Law Offices of Brooks Fudenberg, both of Charleston, for Respondent.

The Court granted a writ of certiorari to review the court of appeals' decision in Sanders v. Savannah Highway Automotive Co., 432 S.C. 328, 852 S.E.2d 744 (Ct. App. 2020). We will decide whether the circuit court erred in denying Petitioners' motion to compel arbitration and granting Sanders' motion to compel discovery.

 

Cases to be Submitted Without Oral Argument

Maunwell Ervin, Respondent, v. State of South Carolina, Petitioner.

Senior Assistant Attorney General David A. Spencer, of Columbia, for Petitioner, Clarence Rauch Wise, for Respondent.