David James Canty of David J. Canty, P.A., of Myrtle Beach, for Appellant. Clarke W. McCants, III, of Nance, McCants & Massey, of Aiken. for Respondent South Carolina Uninsured Employers' Fund. Daniel Ray McCoy and Robert Curt Calamari of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, of Myrtle Beach, for Respondent Gino's The King of Pizza.

In this Worker's Compensation Commission (Commission) case, Esvin Leonel Lopez Perez appeals, arguing the Appellate Panel of the Commission (Appellate Panel) erred in affirming the Commission's decision finding that Gino's the King of Pizza (Gino's) was not subject to the Worker's Compensation Act (the Act) because Gino's did not regularly employ four or more persons.

Mindy Westbrook Zimmerman and Wade Coleman Lawrimore, both of Zimmerman & Shealy, LLC, of Newberry, for Appellant. Robert W. Dibble, Jr. of Robert W. Dibble, Jr., Law Firm, of Prosperity, for Respondents. Kelley B. Parr of Kelley B. Parr, Attorney at Law, of Chapin, for Respondents. Jennifer Dowd Nichols of Harrell & Martin, P.A., of Chapin, for Respondents.

Appellant Thomas Jackson Construction, Inc. appeals the circuit court's denial of its motion to dismiss and the circuit court's grant of Respondents' motion for summary judgment. Appellant argues the circuit court erred by denying its motion to dismiss when it found (1) Rule 37(b)(2), SCRCP does not allow the entry of judgment against a corporate officer as a sanction, and (2) this action was brought within a "reasonable time" as required by Rule 60(b), SCRCP. Appellant further claims the circuit court erred by granting Respondents' motion for summary judgment because the circuit court (1) had personal jurisdiction over Respondents, (2) failed to apply the proper standard of review, and (3) erroneously found the special referee abused his discretion.

Thomas Jarrett Bouchette of Johnny Gardner Law Group, P.A., of Conway, for Appellant. Chief Appellate Defender Robert Michael Dudek, of Columbia, for Appellant. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson, Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Ellis Roberts, and Assistant Attorney General Mark R. Farthing, all of Columbia, for Respondent. Solicitor Daniel Edward Johnson, of Columbia, for Respondent.

Ernest M. Allen appeals his convictions for resisting arrest with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, and two counts of attempted murder. Allen contends the trial court erred in denying his motion for a directed verdict on the resisting arrest charge. He also maintains the trial court erred in allowing evidence of pending charges to be submitted to the jury.

Monteith Powell Todd, John Michael Montgomery, Alexander Erwin Davis, and Robert E. Horner, all of Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC, of Columbia, for Appellants. John Gressette Felder, Jr. and Jordan Christopher Calloway, both of McGowan Hood & Felder, LLC, of Rock Hill, for Respondent.

In this wrongful death and survival action, Appellants, Pruitt Corporation d/b/a UHS-Pruitt Corporation; UHS-Pruitt Holdings, Inc.; UHS of South Carolina-East, LLC; United Health Services of South Carolina, Inc.; United Clinical Services, Inc.; United Rehab, Inc.; Rock Hill Healthcare Properties, Inc.; Uni-Health Post Acute Care-Rock Hill, LLC d/b/a UniHealth Post Acute Care-Rock Hill, challenge the circuit court's order denying Appellants' motion to compel arbitration.

Pope D. Johnson, III, of Columbia, for Appellant.. Benjamin Rush Smith, III, William Coleman Hubbard, and Allen Mattison Bogan, all of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, of Columbia, for Respondent. Senior Vice President and General Counsel J. Michael Baxley, of Moncks Corner, for Respondent. Vice President, Legal Services and Corporate Secretary Elizabeth H. Warner, of Moncks Corner,for Respondent.

Horry Electric Cooperative (HEC) appeals the trial court's order dismissing without prejudice HEC's claim against South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper) for equitable indemnification and dismissing with prejudice HEC's claims for negligence, breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing, breach of warranty, and civil conspiracy.

Kevin Roger Eberle of Charleston School of Law, of Charleston, for Appellant. Nicholas Anthony Shalosky of Kaplan, Inc., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for Appellant. Chief Appellate Defender Robert Michael Dudek, of Columbia, for Appellant. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson and Interim Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General John Benjamin Aplin, both of Columbia, for Respondent. Solicitor J. Strom Thurmond, Jr., of Aiken, for Respondent.

Frank Muns appeals his convictions of attempted murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, arguing the trial court erred in refusing to issue a self-defense charge and an accident charge. He further argues, should this court set aside his attempted murder conviction based upon the trial court's erroneous failure to charge the jury, he would be entitled to a new trial on the possession of a weapon charge as well.

Appellate Defender Laura Ruth Baer, of Columbia, for Appellant. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson, Chief Deputy Attorney General John W. McIntosh, and Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Donald J. Zelenka, all of Columbia, for Respondent. Solicitor David Matthew Stumbo, of Greenwood, for Respondent.

Appellant Mandy Lenore Smith appeals her convictions for murder and desecration of human remains. Appellant contends the trial court erred by (1) charging the jury on the "hand of one is the hand of all" theory of accomplice liability, (2) admitting Appellant's confession into evidence, (3) refusing to charge the jury on voluntary manslaughter, and (4) excluding evidence regarding Appellant's co-defendant's prior act of unjustifiably killing Appellant's dogs.

Appellate Defender John Harrison Strom, of Columbia, for Appellant. General Counsel Matthew C. Buchanan of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services, of Columbia, for Respondent.

O'Neal Bernard Byrdic, Jr., appeals from the partial revocation of his probation, arguing the probation court (1) failed to provide him with the opportunity to testify in his own defense, present evidence, or call witnesses and (2) refused to allow him to confront or cross-examine a witness.

Tommy Arthur Thomas, of Irmo, for Appellant. Chief Appellate Defender Robert Michael Dudek, of Columbia, for Appellant. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson of Columbia, Senior Assistant Attorney General David A. Spencer, and Assistant Attorney General Mary Frances G. Jowers, all of Columbia, for Respondent.Solicitor James Strom Thurmond, Jr., of Aiken, for Respondent.

Rudd appeals his conviction for five counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the second degree and three counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the third degree. Rudd argues the trial court erred in (1) denying his motion to suppress a statement he made to a Department of Social Services investigator and (2) admitting into evidence two pictures depicting written apologies he made to the victims.

James Earnest Weatherholtz, pro se, of Charleston, for Appellant. Associate General Counsel Bradley David Churdar, of Charleston, for Respondent.

James Weatherholtz appeals the Administrative Law Court's (ALC's) order affirming the Department of Health and Environmental Control's denial of his dock permit application, arguing (1) the ALC's holding that the creek is not ten feet wide is the product of legal errors and unsupported factual findings, and (2) the ALC committed legal error in holding an existing dock outside his lot's extended property lines and the possibility another dock could be built outside those lines made him ineligible for a dock permit.

Appellate Defender Kathrine Haggard Hudgins, of Columbia, for Appellant. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson and Staff Attorney Susannah Rawl Cole, both of Columbia, for Respondent. Solicitor Scarlett Anne Wilson, of Charleston, for Respondent.

Anthony Bailey appeals his conviction for threatening the life of a public official, arguing the circuit court erred in finding a mental health professional employed by the South Carolina Department of Mental Health (the Department) was a public official, rather than a public employee, within the meaning of South Carolina Code section 16-3-1040 (2003).

Reginald I. Lloyd of Lloyd Law Firm, LLC, of Camden, for Appellants. Christopher Todd Hagins, of Columbia, for Appellants. John Julius Pringle, Jr. and Lyndey Ritz Zwingelberg, both of Adams and Reese LLP, of Columbia, for Respondent.

Knight Systems, Inc. and Robert L. Knight (Appellants) appeal the special referee's order ruling in favor of Palmetto Mortuary Transport, Inc. (Respondent). Appellants argue the special referee erred in failing to find (1) the geographic restriction in the parties' non-compete agreement (the Agreement) is unreasonable and void, (2) the Agreement's territorial restriction is not supported by independent and valuable consideration, (3) the Agreement is void as a matter of public policy, and (4) the Agreement became void after any breach by the Respondent.

Lawrence Keitt of Law Office of Lawrence Keitt, of Orangeburg, for Appellant. Daniel W. Luginbill and Lauren Bailey Dangerfield, both of Wilson & Luginbill, LLC, of Bamberg, for Respondent.

In this interstate custody case, Appellant appeals the family court's order granting sole legal and physical custody of the minor child to Respondent. Appellant argues the family court erroneously (1) failed to make an independent determination as to Pennsylvania's jurisdiction to issue a custody order and (2) applied South Carolina's law when determining the validity of the Pennsylvania court's custody order.

Newman Jackson Smith of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, of Charleston, for Appellant. W. Jefferson Leath, Jr. of Leath Bouch & Seekings, LLP, of Charleston, for Respondents. James Blanding Holman, IV, and Christopher Kaltman DeScherer, both of Southern Environmental Law Center, of Charleston, for Respondents.

The Town of Awendaw (the Town) appeals the circuit court's order, arguing the court erred in finding: (1) Lynne Vicary, Kent Prause, and the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League (collectively, Respondents) had standing; (2) there was no petition for the 2004 annexation; (3) the Town falsely claimed it had a proper petition to annex the United States Forest Service property; (4) the Town was estopped from asserting a statute of limitations defense; and (5) the statutory time period for challenging the 2004 annexation was tolled.

Kenneth Philip Shabel of Campbell & Shabel, LLC, of Spartanburg, for Appellant. Clarence Rauch Wise, of Greenwood, for Appellant. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson and Assistant Attorney General William M. Blitch, Jr., both of Columbia, for Respondent. Solicitor Barry Joe Barnette, of Spartanburg, for Respondent.

Daniel Spade appeals his conviction for criminal sexual conduct with a minor arguing the trial court erred in (1) excluding Dale Smith's testimony regarding the victim's panic attacks, (2) finding Spade improperly struck a juror based on gender, (3) allowing a private attorney to participate in the trial when that attorney previously represented victim's mother and adoptive father in the family court, (4) ruling the private attorney was properly appointed pursuant to section 1-7-470 of the South Carolina Code, and (5) failing to exclude Meredith Thompson-Loftis's testimony when the State failed to timely turn over substantial portions of her file.

J. Edward Bell, III of Bell Legal Group, of Georgetown, for Appellants. C. Carter Elliott, Jr. of Elliott & Phelan, LLC, of Georgetown, for Appellants. John S. Nichols and Blake Alexander Hewitt, both of Bluestein Nichols Thompson & Delgado, LLC, of Columbia, for Appellants. Robert H. Hood, James Bernard Hood, and Harry Cooper Wilson, III, all of Hood Law Firm, LLC, of Charleston, for Respondent Kenneth A. Dodds and Respondent Charleston Nephrology Associates, LLC. Deborah Harrison Sheffield, of Columbia,for Respondent Kenneth A. Dodds and Respondent Charleston Nephrology Associates. LLC, Thomas R. Goldstein of Belk Cobb Infinger & Goldstein, PA, of Charleston, for Respondent Kenneth A. Dodds. James Edward Scott, IV, Donald Jay Davis, Jr., Perry McPherson Buckner, IV, Stephen Lynwood Brown, and Russell Grainger Hines, all of Young Clement Rivers, of Charleston, for Respondent Georgia Roane and Respondent Rheumatology Associates, P.A.

In this medical malpractice action, Virginia and Todd Marshall appeal the circuit court's grant of summary judgment in favor of Kenneth A. Dodds, M.D.; Charleston Nephrology Associates, LLC; Georgia Roane, M.D.; and Rheumatology Associates, P.A. (Respondents). The Marshalls argue the court erred in holding the medical malpractice statute of repose begins to run after a medical professional's first alleged misdiagnosis.

Robert E. Stepp, Tina Marie Cundari , and Benjamin Rogers Gooding, all of Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC, of Columbia, for Appellant. Desa Ballard and Harvey M. Watson, III, both of Ballard & Watson, Attorneys at Law, of West Columbia, for Respondents.

A master-in-equity entered judgment in the amount of $2,913.866.00 against Ameris Bank for breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting a breach of fiduciary duty, and negligent misrepresentation claims asserted by Linda Gibson, individually and as trustee of the Paul William Gibson Family Trust, and Heritage Seven, LLC (collectively, Respondents). On appeal, Ameris Bank argues the master-in-equity erred (1) in concluding that Ameris Bank owed Respondents a fiduciary duty in a $2.8 million commercial loan transaction for a real estate venture that ultimately failed, (2) in concluding that Ameris Bank was liable for negligent misrepresentation for telling Gibson that the transaction was a "good deal" and that the "rents would cover the debt," (3) in concluding that Ameris Bank knowingly aided and abetted Gibson's real estate agent in breaching a fiduciary duty, and (4) in awarding actual damages and excessive punitive damages.

William Chadwick Jenkins of Pope & Hudgens, PA, of Newberry, for Appellant. William H. Edwards of Moore Taylor Law Firm, P.A., of West Columbia, for Respondent Keith Fulmer. Rudolph C. Barnes, Jr., of Little Mountain, for Respondent Keith Fulmer. Austin J. Tothacer, Jr., of Newberry, for Respondent Newberry County. Jay Evan Bressler, of Cayce, for Respondent South Carolina Electric and Gas.

John Frick appeals the court's finding in favor of Keith Fulmar, et al. (Respondents) that roadway under dispute was an easement rather than a county road and that Respondents were entitled to use a locked gate to the road so long as Frick was provided a key or combination to the lock.

Andrew F. Lindemann of Davidson & Lindemann, PA, of Columbia, for Appellant Town of Lexington. S. Jahue Moore and John Calvin Bradley, Jr., both of Moore Taylor Law Firm, P.A., of West Columbia, for Appellant McGuinn Construction Management, Inc, Andrew A. Aun of Aun & McKay, PA, of Irmo, for Respondents. John S. Nichols and Blake Alexander Hewitt, both of Bluestein Nichols Thompson & Delgado, LLC, of Columbia, for Respondents.

McGuinn Construction Management, Inc. and the Town of Lexington appeal the cirucit court's order granting summary judgment in favor of Saul and Mara Espino with regard to the scope of an easement on the Espinos' property. The appellants contend issues of material fact regarding the intent of the parties in creating the easement precluded summary judgment.

John O. McDougall of McDougall, Self, Currence & McLeod, LLP, of Columbia, for Appellant. Katherine Carruth Goode, of Winnsboro, for Appellant. J. Mark Taylor of Moore Taylor Law Firm, P.A., of West Columbia, for Respondent.

Ashley Noojin appeals the family court's order holding her in contempt and requiring her to pay Frank Noojin's attorney's fees and costs. She argues the family court erred in: (1) finding her in willful contempt of court; (2) excluding an exhibit; (3) limiting cross-examination of an expert witness; and (4) ordering her to pay Frank Noojin's attorney's fees and costs and failing to award her attorney's fees and costs.

Heather Vry Scalzo of Byford & Scalzo, LLC, of Greenville, for Appellant. Chief Appellate Defender Robert Michael Dudek, of Columbia, for Appellant. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson, Chief Deputy Attorney General John W. McIntosh, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Donald J. Zelenka, and Assistant Attorney General Alphonso Simon, Jr., all of Columbia, for Respondent. Solicitor Daniel Edward Johnson, of Columbia, for Respondent.

Appellant, Gerald Bernard Haltiwanger, Jr., appeals his murder conviction, arguing the trial court erred in admitting his statement to police into evidence. Appellant contends admission of the statement was unduly prejudicial because it was transcribed exclusively by law enforcement and contained only portions of Appellant's custodial interrogation.