Melvin B. McKeown, Jr. and Elizabeth Hyatt Robinson, both of York, for Appellants-Respondents. Jay Bender, of Baker, Ravenel & Bender, L.L.P., of Columbia, for Respondents-Appellants. Robert E. Lyon, Jr., and M. Clifton Scott, of Columbia, for Amicus Curiae SC Association of Counties. Sandra J. Senn, of Charleston, for Amicus Curiae South Carolina Sheriffs' Association, SCFOP. Stephanie P. McDonald, of Charleston, for Amicus Curiae SCSA, SCFOP.

In this civil action, Appellants contend the trial judge erred in: (1) concluding that the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act applies to a "Sheriff"; (2) holding that records maintained by the office of the Sheriff were not exempt from disclosure; (3) ruling that the records were not constitutionally protected by the right of privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment; (4) ordering disclosure of records of a personal nature which constituted an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy under the Act; and (5) admitting hearsay testimony by the editor of a newspaper.

Randall K. Mullins, of N. Myrtle Beach, for Appellant. Gary Hudson Smith, III, of Aiken, for Respondent.

Mullins appeals the family court's rulings stemming from an Order and Rule to Show Cause for Hawkins' alleged violations of previous family court orders, including denial of scheduled visitation and allowing a prohibited party to be present during visitation exchange.

J. Falkner Wilkes, of Greenville, for Appellant-Respondent. Bobby H. Mann, of Temple, Mann, Briggs & Hill, of Greenville, for Respondent-Appellant.

This is a cross-appeal from a family court's divorce order in which Husband was awarded custody of the parties' children, the parties' property and debts were equitably divided, the parties were ordered to split the guardian ad litem fees, the parties were each required to pay their own attorney's fees, and Husband was restrained from traveling with the children outside the United States. On appeal, Wife argues the guardian ad litem did not conduct an independent and impartial investigation, and because of this, the family court erred when it relied on the guardian's recommendation in granting Husband custody of the children. Wife also argues the court erred in ordering her to pay half of the guardian ad litem's fees and in ordering her to be responsible for her own attorney's fees. In Husband's appeal, he argues the court erred in restricting him from traveling outside the United States with the parties' children. He also argues the court erred in failing to make Wife liable for her share of the marital debt.

W. Steven Johnson, William M. Reynolds, III, of Todd & Johnson, of Columbia, for Appellant James McGirt. Arthur C. McFarland, of Charleston, and Veronica G. Small, of North Charleston, for Respondents Richard H. Nelson, et al.

This is a declaratory action filed by McGirt, as personal representative for the Estate of Bessie Haile, to construe the terms of the Will of Richard Haile. McGirt appeals the trial court's ruling that Richard Haile's will vested one-half interest in the family's business to Bessie Haile and one-half interest to Sylvia Haile, Richard Haile's predeceased child.

Craig E. Burgess, of Atlanta, GA, for Appellant-Respondent. Deena Smith McRackan, of Charleston,for Respondent-Appellant.

In this case, the family court previously declared a marriage between Rouse and husband void ab initio due to husband's failure to properly serve notice of an action for divorce on his first wife, Bateman. The family court order stated that any funds due to widow of husband be paid over to Bateman. Bateman filed an action seeking funds paid to Rouse prior to the court order under equitable causes of action and actions for conversion and wrongful withholding. The trial judge found for Bateman on the conversion claim and ordered payment in the amount of husband's survivor's pension benefits. The trial judge denied Bateman's claims for a return of the proceeds of husband's insurance policies. Rouse appeals arguing the trial judge erred in denying her right to a jury trial, denying her motion for directed verdict on the conversion and wrongful withholding claims, and denying her equitable defenses. Bateman appeals arguing the trial judge erred in denying her the return of the proceeds of husband's insurance policies and in excluding testimony of a witness under the Dead Man's Act.

T. Alexander Beard, of Mt. Pleasant, for Appellant. A. Camden Lewis, of Lewis, Babcock & Hawkins, of Columbia, for Respondent.

Attorney Alexander Beard appeals the trial court's dismissal of his action under the South Carolina Frivolous Proceeding Sanctions Act against the attorneys who attempted to add Beard as a defendant in a previous matter involving Beard's client.

Assistant Appellate Defender Robert M. Dudek, of Office of Appellate Defense, of Columbia, for Appellant. Attorney General Henry Dargan McMaster, Chief Deputy Attorney General John W. McIntosh, Assistant Deputy Attorney General Donald J. Zelenka, Assistant Attorney General Melody J. Brown, of the Office of the Attorney General, and Solicitor Warren Blair Giese, all of Columbia, for Respondent.

Childers appeals from his convictions for murder, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, and discharging a firearm into a dwelling. Childers argues the trial judge erred by refusing to relieve defense counsel who had prosecuted Childers in the past and who had also represented the victim's family in the past. Childers also argues the trial juge erred by refusing to charge the jury on voluntary manslaughter.

Stephen F. DeAntonio, of DeAntonio Law Firm, LLC, of Charleston, for Appellants. John Kerr and David B. McCormack, of Buist, Moore, Smythe & McGee, of Charleston, for Respondents W. W. Norton & Co. and Charles S. Thompson, II. Daniel P. Meyer, of Hagerstown, MD, pro se.

In these civil actions, Appellants contend the trial judge erred in dismissing the cases pursuant to Rule 12(b) motions for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and lack of personal jurisdiction. These actions emanate from the death of 47 men on the USS IOWA. A book titled "A Glimpse of Hell" was written by Respondent Thompson, using Respondent Meyer, as a collaborator and published by Respondent W.W. Norton.

Acting Chief Attorney Joseph L. Savitz, III, of SC Office of Appellate Defense, of Columbia, for Appellant. Attorney General Henry Dargan McMaster, Chief Deputy Attorney General John W. McIntosh, Assistant Deputy Attorney General Charles H. Richardson and Assistant Attorney General W. Rutledge Martin, all of Columbia; and Solicitor Barbara R. Morgan, of Aiken, for Respondent.

The family court adjudicated Justin B., a minor under the age of seventeen, delinquent, finding he had committed first-degree criminal sexual conduct. It later reduced the offense to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. The minor contends the family court erred when it found the four-year old victim competent to testify. He also suggests the family court erred in allowing the victim to testify without having first been sworn.

Michael S. Seekings, of Charleston, for Appellant. Russell S. Stemke, of Isle of Palms, for Respondent.

Martin Bergman appeals from a jury award in favor of Hilton Head Resort Four Seasons Centre Horizontal Property Regime Council of Co-Owners (Regime) for $1,498,334.36 in actual damages and $375,000 in punitive damages. The Regime pled causes of action for civil conspiracy and breach of contract based on the joint venture doctrine. In addition, the trial court allowed the Regime to amend its pleadings after it rested its case to include a claim for negligence.

William G. Rhoden, of Gaffney, for Appellant. Attorney General Henry Dargan McMaster, Chief Deputy Attorney General John W. McIntosh, Assistant Deputy Attorney General Charles H. Richardson, of the Office of the Attorney General, of Columbia, and Solicitor Harold W. Gowdy, III, of Spartanburg, for Respondent.

Appellant, Robert Earl Miller, was indicted for and convicted of unlawful possession of a handgun, failure to stop for a police vehicle, and armed robbery. Miller appeals the denial of a suppression hearing concerning the show-up identification of his alleged co-participant.

Assistant Appellate Defender Robert M. Dudek, of Office of Appellate Defense, of Columbia, for Appellant. Attorney General Henry Dargan McMaster, Chief Deputy Attorney General John W. McIntosh, Assistant Deputy Attorney General Donald J. Zelenka, Assistant Attorney General Melody J. Brown, of the Office of the Attorney General, of Columbia, and Solicitor Randolph Murdaugh, III, of Hampton, for Respondent.

This is an appeal from Rogers' convictions for two counts of murder, armed robbery, assault with intent to kill, burglary in the first degree, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, and four counts of kidnapping. Rogers argues on appeal that the trial judge erred by: (1) allowing the admission of a witness's in-court identification of Rogers; and (2) refusing to suppress as "fruit of the poisonous tree" a note allegedly written by Rogers while he was illegally incarcerated.

Hemphill P. Pride, II, of Columbia, for Appellant. Darrell T. Johnson, Jr., of Hardeeville,for Respondent.

Laura Lewis-Shepard appeals the order of the special referee upholding her contingency fee agreement with her attorney, R. Thayer Rivers, Jr., and ordering her to pay Rivers $345,000 and $36,000 in interest. She asserts the agreement, which provided Rivers would received thirty percent of the proceeds of the sale of property that was the subject of the underlying litigation was unconscionable. She also asserts the special referee erred in awarding Rivers pre-judgment interest.

Eugene N. Zeigler, Hamilton Osborne, Jr., and James Y. Becker, of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A., of Columbia, for Appellant. Mary L. Arnold, of Mt. Pleasant, and Justin O'Toole Lucey, of Mt. Pleasant, for Respondents.

This is an appeal from a malpractice action brought by an insured/employee and employer against the insurance agent who marketed the company's health insurance plan. The agent appeals the jury's verdict for the employee and employer, arguing that: (1) the claims were pre-empted by ERISA; (2)the trial judge erred in admitting certain evidence and testimony; and (3) the trial judge erred in failing to grant the agent a new trial; and (4) the trial judge erred in failing to grant the agent's motion for a change in venue.

Steven Smith McKenzie, of Manning, for Appellant. Attorney General Henry Dargan McMaster, Chief Deputy Attorney General John W. McIntosh, Assistant Deputy Attorney General Charles H. Richardson, Assistant Attorney General W. Rutledge Martin, of the Office of the Attorney General, of Columbia, and Solicitor Cecil Kelley Jackson, of Sumter, for Respondent.

The issue on appeal concerns whether a motion to suppress should have been granted based on an alleged illegal stop, search, and seizure.

Larry Dale Dove, of Rock Hill, for Appellant. Timothy A. Domin and Ronnie F. Craig, of Clawson & Staubes, LLC, of Charleston,for Respondent.

In this automobile insurance action, the question is whether the insured's death arose from the ownership, maintenance, or use of an uninsured vehicle.

Thomas H. Pope, III, of Pope and Hudgens, P.A., of Newberry, and Marcus A. Manos and J. David Black, both of Nexsen, Pruet, Jacobs & Pollard, of Columbia, for Appellant. Mark W. Buyck, Jr. and Mark W. Buyck, III, of Willcox, Buyck & Williams, PA, of Florence, for Respondent.

This is a contest between providers of electricity as to which one gets to service a newly constructed facility.

William Randall Phipps, of Hilton Head Island, and John S. Nichols, of Columbia, for Appellant. Patrick James Thomas Kelley, of Bluffton, for Respondent.

This post-divorce domestic action raises questions concerning the court's equitable distribution, alimony, and attorney's fee awards.