South Carolina Circuit Courts

The South Carolina Circuit Courts are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in South Carolina. The circuit courts also have limited appellate authority over lower trial courts and governmental agencies.

There are 16 judicial districts in the state, and each one has at least one resident circuit judge. The courts are divided into a civil court, known as the court of common pleas, and a criminal court, known as the court of general sessions.

Court division

South Carolina Circuit Courts

The circuit court is divided into two sections:

• Court of Common Pleas (Civil)
• Court of General Sessions (Criminal)

Circuit division

The circuit court is divided geographically into 16 judicial circuits.

District	Counties served
1st Judicial Circuit	Calhoun, Orangeburg and Dorchester
2nd Judicial Circuit	Aiken, Barnwell and Bamberg
3rd Judicial Circuit	Lee, Sumter, Clarendon and Williamsburg
4th Judicial Circuit	Chesterfield, Marlboro, Darlington and Dillon
5th Judicial Circuit	Kershaw and Richland
6th Judicial Circuit	Lancaster, Chester and Fairfield
7th Judicial Circuit	Spartanburg and Cherokee
8th Judicial Circuit	Abbeville, Greenwood, Newberry and Laurens
9th Judicial Circuit	Berkeley and Charleston
10th Judicial Circuit	Oconee and Anderson
11th Judicial Circuit	McCormick, Edgefield, Saluda and Lexington
12th Judicial Circuit	Florence and Marion
13th Judicial Circuit	Pickens and Greenville
14th Judicial Circuit	Allendale, Hampton, Jasper, Beaufort and Colleton
15th Judicial Circuit	Horry and Georgetown
16th Judicial Circuit	York and Union

Judges

There are 46 circuit court judges who rotate through the 16 judicial districts. They are elected by the General Assembly to staggered terms of six years.

See also

• Courts in South Carolina
• South Carolina counties
• South Carolina Family Courts

External links

• South Carolina Judicial Department, "Circuit Court Overview"
• South Carolina Judicial Department, "Circuit Court Judges Roster"
• South Carolina Judicial Department, "At Large Circuit Court Judges Roster"

Footnotes

South Carolina courts

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Federal courts:

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of South Carolina • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of South Carolina

State courts:

South Carolina Supreme Court • South Carolina Court of Appeals • South Carolina Circuit Courts • South Carolina Masters-in-Equity • South Carolina Family Courts • South Carolina Magistrate Courts • South Carolina Municipal Courts • South Carolina Probate Courts

State resources:

Courts in South Carolina • South Carolina judicial elections • Judicial selection in South Carolina