Judicial Secrecy

Officials mum on rescreening for S.C. Supreme Court seat

By RICK BRUNDRETT More than three weeks after sitting S.C. Supreme Court Justice John Few dropped out of the race for his seat – triggering an automatic cancellation of the election – the state panel responsible for qualifying judicial candidates has been silent about when rescreening hearings will take place....

Rick Brundrett

Written by
March 27, 2026

  • Officials mum on rescreening for S.C. Supreme Court seat

    By RICK BRUNDRETT More than three weeks after sitting S.C. Supreme Court Justice John Few dropped out of the race for his seat – triggering an automatic cancellation of the election – the state panel responsible for qualifying judicial candidates has been silent about when rescreening hearings will take place....
    Rick Brundrett

    Written by
    March 27, 2026

  • Summaries of judicial ethics complaints released, but secrecy remains

    By RICK BRUNDRETT Last fiscal year, of the 636 pending and new ethics complaints filed against S.C. judges, 490, or 77%, were dismissed, according to an annual Judicial Department report, though no detailed explanations for the dismissals or other specifics of those cases were given. After The Nerve for years...
    Rick Brundrett

    Written by
    February 27, 2026

  • Some lawmakers question ex-House speaker's bid for top court seat

    By RICK BRUNDRETT UPDATE: 3/3/26 – S.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice John Few announced on social media this morning that he was withdrawing from tomorrow’s scheduled election in the Legislature, writing on X, “It has become clear to me over recent weeks that I do not – and will not...
    Rick Brundrett

    Written by
    February 18, 2026

  • Cronyism returning to SC's top court?

    UPDATE: 11/20/25 - The state Judicial Merit Selection Commission (JMSC) voted to qualify and nominate all four S.C. Supreme Court candidates for an associate justice seat, including ex-S.C. House Speaker Jay Lucas and sitting Associate Justice John Few, according to a JMSC release. An election in the Legislature is tentatively...
    Rick Brundrett

    Written by
    November 14, 2025

  • Citizens can now see salaries of higher-paid S.C. judges

    Update: 3/17/25: The S.C. Department of Administration, without giving a specific reason, informed The Nerve that Judicial Department salaries are no longer included in the state salary database. But the salaries of judges and court staff making at least $50,000 annually can now be found here on the Judicial Department's...
    Rick Brundrett

    Written by
    November 19, 2024

  • Senators won't let go of magistrate control

    By RICK BRUNDRETT S.C. senators this year apparently had no interest in legislation to end the longstanding practice of allowing county magistrates to serve months or even years after their terms expired. There's probably good reason for their lack of enthusiasm: Senators largely control who becomes a magistrate and how...
    Rick Brundrett

    Written by
    August 28, 2024

  • True reform? S.C. justices say they won't investigate each other

    By RICK BRUNDRETT South Carolina’s top court has decided to remove itself from investigations of ethics complaints against sitting justices. But for now, members of the Supreme Court – whose six-figure salaries are paid by S.C. taxpayers – can still discipline a wayward fellow justice even with the creation of...
    Rick Brundrett

    Written by
    August 18, 2024

  • Capped out: State law hurts qualified judicial candidates' election chances

    By RICK BRUNDRETT Update: 7/2/24 - Gov. Henry McMaster signed into a law a judicial reform bill that, among other things, will increase the nominee cap from three to six per judicial seat filled by the S.C. Legislature and will allow the governor to appoint four members of the Judicial...
    Rick Brundrett

    Written by
    April 16, 2024

  • Many county magistrates still on bench past their terms

    By RICK BRUNDRETT Update: 3/13/24 - A total of 66 county magistrates statewide remain in "holdover status," according to an updated list released by the S.C. Court Administration office. The latest list was provided after The Nerve on Feb. 23 submitted a written request under the state Freedom of Information...
    Rick Brundrett

    Written by
    March 04, 2024

  • Ex-lawmakers, others with legislative ties often shoo-ins for S.C. judicial seats

    By RICK BRUNDRETT Update: 3/14/24 - Following is an updated list of the salaries of higher-level state judges, which was released by the S.C. Court Administration office following a Feb. 2 written request by The Nerve under the state Freedom of Information Act: Supreme Court chief justice ($235,186), Supreme Court...
    Rick Brundrett

    Written by
    February 07, 2024