South Carolina Court Case Lookup

South Carolina Court Case Lookup

A court case is a civil or criminal action initiated by a person or law enforcement officer, which may be resolved by any South Carolina Court or similar legal process. South Carolina courts are divided into three levels:

• Supreme Court: This is the highest court in South Carolina with appellate and original jurisdiction.
• Court of Appeals: They hear appeals from the Circuit and Family Courts.
• Trial Courts: There are about five trial courts in South Carolina. These courts are:
  • Circuit Court: This is South Carolina’s court of general jurisdiction that includes the Court of Common Pleas, the Court of General Sessions, a Civil Court, and a Criminal Court.
  • Family Court: It has exclusive jurisdiction over family or domestic matters like divorce, custody, adoption, marriage, alimony, visitation rights, support, and termination of parental rights. The Family Court also handles matters relating to minors below 17 years who have violated state law or municipal ordinance.
  • Probate Court: It handles estates of deceased persons, conservatorships of estates of minors and incompetents, marriage licenses, guardianships of incompetents, and minor settlements that do not exceed $25,000.
  • Magistrates Court: It has criminal trial jurisdiction offenses whose penalty does not exceed 30 days imprisonment, $500 fines, or both. Generally, magistrate courts handle bail matters and preliminary hearings, issue arrest and search warrants, and have civil jurisdiction on matters below $7,500.
  • Municipal Court: Handles all municipal cases and municipal offenses subject to fines that do not exceed $500 fines, 30 days imprisonment, or both.

South Carolina court case lookup can be done online or in person at the court with jurisdiction over the case. Online court case requests can be made using the statewide public database available on the South Carolina Judicial Branch website. Requesters must know the county in which the case was handled to be able to use this tool. A click on the county’s link will lead to the Public Index search page of the county. Online requesters can conduct court case searches by case number, name, CDR code, date, indictment number, or tax map number.

In-person requests can be made at the court with jurisdiction over the case. An Interested person must be able to provide basic information about the case, like a case number and the names of case parties, to aid the search.

Are Court Cases Public Record in South Carolina?

Yes, per the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, court cases are public records. As such, court cases are open for inspection and copying except if it is exempted from disclosure. For instance, adoption, juvenile, and court cases that contain the following information are exempted from the public:

• Court records that include personal information in which public disclosure can result in an invasion of personal privacy.
• Court records that contains information that would interfere with court proceedings or deprive someone of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication.
• Court records that contains information that would disclose the identity of a confidential source or would endanger the life or physical safety of anyone.

Sealed or expunged court cases may be restricted to only an authorized few. Ineligible persons might be able to access such court cases if they have been granted court orders to that effect.

Can I Get South Carolina Court Case Documents Online?

Yes, the South Carolina Judicial Branch has a Case Records Search tool where individuals can get court case documents from all counties in the state. Here is how to get a South Carolina case document online via this search tool:

• Click on the county link to go to the Public Index search page.
• Read the disclaimer and click on ‘Accept”.
• Move on to conduct a search by case number, name, CDR code, date, indictment number, or tax map number.
• Providing other information about the case, like court type, court agency, case type and subtype, and action type, can help streamline the search.
• With the Case Records Search tool, individuals can retrieve the following case information depending on the case type:
  • Case summaries like a case number, type and subtype, status, disposition, court agency, filed date, assigned judge, and arrest date.
  • Case parties (name, address, race, sex, birth year, party type, and party status
  • Charges (name, charge code, and disposition date)
  • Sentencing (description, amount, units, begin and end date, completion date, and consecutive/concurrent)
  • Actions (name, description, type, motion roster, begin and completion date, and documents)
  • Financials (fine summary, costs, and payments)
  • Judgment (names, amounts, dates, description, disposition, and details)
  • Tax map information (agency name, number, and description)
  • Associated cases (agency, case number, and status, date, description, and deposition)

How to Conduct a South Carolina Court Search by Name

The easiest way to conduct a South Carolina court search by name is via the South Carolina Judicial Branch Case Records Search tool. All that is required is to click on the county with jurisdiction over the case and type the party's last name/business in the search box. Other name search options like first and middle names are not mandatory, but they can help narrow the search. Alternatively, requesters can visit the court with jurisdiction over the case to request court case records by providing the names of the case parties or agencies.

What is a Court Case Number?

A case number is a unique character assigned to a case filed in any South Carolina court. Every original or copied document filed by an attorney or case party carries a case number. A new number is assigned to every new case, even if the case party remains the same. However, continued cases are not assigned new case numbers. Cases remanded from the Supreme Court or Court of Appeals sent to the Family Court for retrial retain the original case number, but the letter "A" is added to the end of the number. However, cases in Family Court restored to active status retain the original case number, but the letter "R" is added to the end of the number.

How to Conduct a Case Number Search in South Carolina

A South Carolina resident can go to the Judicial Branch website to conduct a case number search in the state. On the site, click on the Trial Courts menu and click on Case Records Search from the dropdown. Select the county with jurisdiction over the case and click “Accept” to agree to the disclaimer and responsibility for using the case information. Then, type the appropriate case number in the search box to retrieve case information. Alternatively, a record seeker can request case records in person at the county with jurisdiction over the case. The court staff will help them access court records if an accurate case number is provided.

How to Remove Court Cases From Public Record in South Carolina

Removing court cases from public records in South Carolina involves sealing and expungement. As such, such records will be restricted to an authorized few. The first step in sealing or expunging court cases is to determine eligibility. For instance, below are the criminal records and offenses that are eligible for expungement:

• Non-convicted criminal records (S.C. Code § 17-1-40)
• Convicted records where the offender:
  • Has successfully completed pretrial intervention or diversion (S.C. Code § 17-22-150)
  • Is a first-time offender convicted for a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum imprisonment of 30 days and a fine of $1,000 (S.C. Code § 22-5-910)
  • Has a first-offense conditional discharge or conviction for possessing a controlled substance (S.C. Code § 44-53-450)
  • Has a first-time conviction for failure to stop for law enforcement (S.C. Code § 56-5-750)
  • Is a juvenile and is convicted of a nonviolent offense (S.C. Code §§ 22-5-920, 24-19-10, 24-19-50)

After determining eligibility, the offender must apply for expungement at the solicitor's office in the judicial district where the arrest or offense occurred. Expungement of non-convicted crimes typically for free, while an applicant seeking to expunge convicted records must pay a $250 administrative fee, a $25 SLED verification fee, and a filing fee of $35. Applications received by the solicitor are sent to the SLED for expungement eligibility verification. Then the application will be returned to the solicitor, and the necessary signatures will be obtained when the offense is determined to be eligible for expungement by SLED. The solicitor will file the expungement order with the Clerk of Court once the circuit court judge signs it. Then copies of the expungement order will be sent to all governmental agencies and the applicant or the applicant’s attorney.

Review the South Carolina Judicial Branch Expungement page for more information on removing criminal cases from public records.

How to Check a Court Case Status in South Carolina

The South Carolina Judicial Branch has an online search tool where records seekers can check the status of court cases. An individual can find an active or closed case by inputting a case number, name, CDR code, date, indictment number, or tax map number in the appropriate search box. Alternatively, a record seeker can visit the court and request information regarding the status of a case.

How to Find Supreme Court Decisions in South Carolina

Lawyers and the general public can find Supreme Court opinions on the South Carolina Judicial Branch website. An inquirer can get a general overview of what the Supreme Court decides about a case by downloading the opinion on the website. Published opinions from 1997 till date and unpublished opinions from 2004 till date are available for public perusal. Alternatively, requesters can use the Opinion Search tool to find Supreme Court opinions in South Carolina. A search can be conducted by case number, court type, date range, or author.

What Percentage of Court Cases Go to Trial in South Carolina?

As of 2022, over 72,000 people were arrested on criminal charges, but only 2.3% went to trial. The remaining 89.5% pleaded guilty instead, while the remaining 8.2% had their cases dismissed. Review the Statistical Trends page on the South Carolina Judicial branch website for information on court cases that were filed, disposed and pending from 1998 to 2020.

How Long Does a Court Case Last in South Carolina?

Several peculiarities come with court cases that affect their duration. Top on the list is the case type and the nature of the case. For instance, divorce cases take at least 90 days to finalize, while a DUI case can last for a few months or a year.

How to File a Case in Court in South Carolina

Although it is strongly recommended to file a case in court with the help of an attorney, an individual can file a case by themselves. A case can be filed online or in person at the appropriate court. Online filers must download the court-approved forms and packets, fill them out, and file them at the appropriate court.

The filing fee for a new court case is $150, and additional written motions cost $25 each. An individual who cannot afford initial filing fees can file a Motion and Affidavit to Proceed In Forma Pauperis form alongside the Complaint form to request a fee waiver from the judge. Review Rule 3(b) of the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure (SCRCP) for general information about filing In Forma Pauperis. Review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in South Carolina Courts for more information about filing a court case.

What Does It Mean if a Court Case Was Resolved Before the Trial Date?

This simply means that case parties have decided to resolve disputes through other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods rather than going to court. The most common ADR methods are:

• Negotiation: This allows the case parties to resolve their disputes by discussing them and trying to reach an agreement. Case parties can either choose to negotiate on their own or with the help of a lawyer.
• Mediation: The case parties will hire a neutral person (a mediator) to help them talk and make decisions about their disputes. The mediator is not permitted to decide who is right or wrong or to tell the case parties how to resolve their disputes.
• Collaborative practice: This kind of negotiation is commonly used in family disputes where the case parties seek an agreement that suits them, agree to disclose all relevant information, and commit to resolving their disputes outside court.
• Arbitration: Case parties hire a neutral person (an arbitrator) who makes decisions about their disputes after listening to the evidence each party presents. If the decision becomes binding, it becomes part of the contract between the case parties.