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South Carolina
Judicial Branch
Supreme Court - Roster of Cases for Hearing

   
The summary below each case is prepared to offer lawyers and the public a general overview of what issues are included in a case which will be argued. The summary is not a limit on what issues a party to a case may present at oral argument.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Supreme Court Courtroom
 09:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2018-001355   The State, Respondent, v. Nakia Karreim Johnson, Petitioner.

E. Charles Grose, Jr., of Grose Law Firm, of Greenwood, for Petitioner. Attorney General Alan Wilson, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General William M. Blitch, Jr. and Interim Solicitor Heather Savitz Weiss, all of Columbia, for Respondent.

The Court granted Nakia Johnson's petition for a writ of certiorari to review whether the court of appeals erred in finding the trial court's refusal to grant a mistrial after the child advocacy interviewer testified he instructed Victim to tell the truth during the forensic interview amounted to harmless error, thereby affirming Johnson's conviction for second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

 10:00 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2019-000500   The State, Respondent, v. Suzanna Brown Simpson, Petitioner.

J. Falkner Wilkes, of Greenville, for Petitioner. Attorney General Alan Wilson, Deputy Attorney General Donald J. Zelenka, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Melody J. Brown, Assistant Attorney General Susannah R. Cole, all of Columbia and Solicitor W. Walter Wilkins, III, of Greenville, for Respondent.

Suzanna Brown Simpson was convicted of two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The trial court sentenced Simpson to two consecutive life sentences for the murders, a consecutive term of thirty years' imprisonment for the attempted murder, and a consecutive term of five years' imprisonment for the weapon charge. The court of appeals affirmed. State v. Simpson, 425 S.C. 522, 823 S.E.2d 229 (Ct. App. 2019). This Court granted Simpson's petition for a writ of certiorari to determine whether the trial court erred in excluding testimony from Simpson's expert witness.

 10:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2018-001874   Century Capital Group, LLC, Petitioner, v. Midtown Development Group, LLC, Richland Joint Venture Group, LLC, Windsor Richland Mall, L.P., and BRC Richland, LLC, Respondents.

J. Ryan Oates, of McCabe, Trotter & Beverly, PC, of Columbia, for Petitioner. Trippett Boineau, III and Heath M. Stewart, III, both of McAngus, Goudelock & Courie, LLC, of Columbia, Jonathan B. Asbill, of Baker, Ravenel & Bender, LLP, of Columbia and Ruth A. Levy, of Williams Mullen, of Columbia, for Respondents.

The Court granted a writ of certiorari to review the court of appeals' decision in Century Capital Group, LLC v. Midtown Development Group, LLC, Op. No. 2018-UP-249 (S.C. Ct. App. filed June 13, 2018).

Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Supreme Court Courtroom
 09:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2018-001926   William Crenshaw, Respondent, v. Erskine College and David A. Norman, Petitioners.

Thomas H. Keim, Jr., of Ford & Harrison, LLP, of Spartanburg, for Petitioners. E. Charles Grose, Jr., of Grose Law Firm; Robert J. Tinsley, Sr. and Robert Jamison Tinsley, Jr., both of Tinsley & Tinsley, PC, all of Greenwood, for Respondent.

We granted certiorari to review the court of appeals' decision reversing the trial court's order granting Erskine College's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict.

 10:00 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2018-001042   The State, Petitioner, v. Arthur M. Field, Respondent.

Attorney General Alan Wilson, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Samuel Creighton Waters, and Senior Assistant Attorney General Brian T. Petrano, all of Columbia, for Petitioner. James Todd Rutherford, of The Rutherford Law Firm, LLC, of Columbia, for Respondent.

The Court granted a writ of certiorari to review the court of appeals decision in State v. Field, Op. No. 2017-UP-455 (S.C. Ct. App. filed Apr. 4, 2018).

 10:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2018-002035   The State, Petitioner, v. Archie More Hardin, Respondent.

Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson and Assistant Attorney General Joshua A. Edwards, both of Columbia; and Solicitor David Michael Pascoe, Jr., of Orangeburg, all for Petitioner. Daniel Carson Boles, of Charleston, Chief Appellate Defender Robert Michael Dudek and Appellate Defender Lara M. Caudy, both of Columbia, for Respondent.

Archie More Hardin was convicted of armed robbery, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and three counts of kidnapping. The court of appeals affirmed his convictions. State v. Hardin, 425 S.C. 1, 819 S.E.2d 177 (Ct. App. 2018). The Court granted the State of South Carolina a writ of certiorari. The State agrees with the court of appeals' disposition in the case; however, the State argues the court of appeals erred in analyzing one of the three issues Hardin raised on appeal: whether the trial court erred in admitting out-of-court identifications.