The Supreme Court of South Carolina

Re:  Family Court Schedule and Judicial Travel

ORDER

Pursuant to the provisions of Article V, Section 4 of the South Carolina Constitution and S.C. Code Ann. §§ 63-3-320; -340 (2010),

IT IS ORDERED that all Family Court Judges shall return to their home circuits and follow the directives as outlined in my Trial Courts Coronavirus Memorandum dated March 16, 2020.  Unless otherwise ordered, only emergency hearings shall be held pursuant to my Statewide Family Court Order dated March 18, 2020.  

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that each Chief Judge for Administrative Purposes shall prepare weekly schedules for their circuit’s emergency hearings through May 1, 2020 and shall forward such schedules to Court Administration.  In the event that the circuit does not have an adequate number of judges to cover emergency hearings due to previously-scheduled leave or illness, the Chief Judge for Administrative Purposes shall notify Judges’ Scheduling at Court Administration so that another judge can be assigned as deemed necessary. 

Until further ordered, all Family Court Judges shall only preside over hearings in their home circuit beginning March 23, 2020 unless they receive an Order assigning them to a county outside of their circuit.

All previously scheduled terms of court from March 23, 2020 through May 1, 2020 are hereby canceled, and all judges who are not assigned to vacation, official leave or an Administrative Week shall be assigned to chambers. 

Columbia, South Carolina
March 18, 2020