Supreme Court of South Carolina Justice Donald W. Beatty delivered the annual State of the Judiciary address today at noon during a joint session of the South Carolina General Assembly.

Before beginning his remarks, Chief Justice Beatty provided legislators with a 2018 Annual Report publication with information about the South Carolina Judicial Branch. During his remarks, Chief Justice Beatty’s updates covered a range of topics including judicial diversity, courtroom operations, technology advancements, community outreach programs, and the importance of the Judicial Branch’s financial stability and independence.

“Our state court system plays a significant role in the operation of government,” said Chief Justice Beatty. “At some point in their lives, every citizen will be affected by a decision of one of our trial or appellate courts. To fulfill this unique role, the Judicial Branch must work cooperatively with the other branches of government while at the same time being financially stable and independent from the other two branches.”

Chief Justice Beatty’s remarks concluded with a video that explains how the nation’s state court systems work to uphold rights and liberties for American citizens.

Text of Chief Justice Beatty’s remarks is available here.