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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.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Supreme Court Courtroom
 09:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 10-10-5)  
2015-000606   The State, Petitioner, v. Graham Franklin Douglas, Respondent.

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 and Solicitor Ernest Adolphus Finney III, of Sumter, for Petitioner. S. Jahue Moore, Sr., of Moore Taylor & Thomas, P.A., of West Columbia, for Respondent.

The Court granted certiorari to review the court of appeals' opinion in State v. Douglas, 411 S.C. 307, 768 S.E.2d 232 (2014).

 10:00 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2014-000387   Kenneth Simmons, Petitioner, v. State of South Carolina, Respondent.

Emily C. Paavola, of Justice 360, of Columbia, for Petitioner. Attorney General Alan M. Wilson, Deputy Attorney General John W. McIntosh, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Donald J. Zelenka and Senior Assistant Attorney General Melody J. Brown, all of Columbia, for Respondent. Joseph M. McCulloch, Jr., of Columbia, Lori R. Mason, of Cooley LLP, of Palo Alto, California, Adam S. Gerhenson, of Cooley LLP, of Boston Massachusetts and Jennifer Pavane Kenter, of Cooley LLP, of New York, New York, for Amicus Curiae The Innocence Network. Daniel J. Westbook, of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, of Columbia, Vilia B. Hayes, Charles W. Cohen and Casey S. Duffy, all of Hughes Hubbard & Reed, LLP, of New York, New York for Amici Curiae, ARC of South Carolina, Able SC, SCAAIDD, Protection and Advocacy for People With Disabilities, Inc. and Family Connection of South Carolina.

The Court reviews the post-conviction relief court's denial of Petitioner's request for a new trial due to errors in the State's presentation of DNA evidence at trial.

 10:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 10-10-5)  
2012-212593   In the Matter of William Ashley Jordan, Respondent.

Disciplinary Counsel Lesley M. Coggiola and Deputy Disciplinary Counsel Barbara Marie Seymour, both of Columbia, for the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. A. Camden Lewis and Ariail Elizabeth King, both of Lewis Babcock L.L.P., of Columbia, for Respondent.

This is an attorney disciplinary matter.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Supreme Court Courtroom
 09:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2013-001945   Charles Christopher Williams, Petitioner, v. State of South Carolina, Respondent.

Derek J. Enderlin, of Ross and Enderlin, PA, of Greenville, for Petitioner. Attorney General Alan Wilson, Chief Deputy Attorney General John W. McIntosh, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Donald J. Zelenka, all of Columbia and Solicitor William W. Wilkins, III, of Greenville, for Respondent. Louis O'Neill, of White & Case, LLP, of New York, New York and John S. Nichols, of Bluestein Nichols Thompson & Delgado, LLC, of Columbia, for Amicus Curiae, The Federal Republic of Germany.

The Court reviews the post-conviction relief court's denial of Petitioner's request for a new trial due to trial counsel not presenting evidence of fetal alcohol syndrome.

 10:00 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2015-001443   South Carolina Public Interest Foundation and Edward D. Sloan, Jr,. individually, and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Petitioners, v. James H. "Jay" Lucas, as Speaker of the S.C. House of Representatives, Henry D. McMaster, as President of the S.C. Senate, and The State of South Carolina, Respondents. Hugh K. Leatherman, Sr., in his capacity as President Pro Tempore of the South Carolina Senate, Intervenor.

James G. Carpenter, of The Carpenter Law Firm, PC, of Greenville, for Petitioners. Attorney General Alan M. Wilson and Deputy Solicitor General J. Emory Smith, Jr., both of Columbia, for Respondents State of South Carolina, et al. Michael J. Anzelmo, Blake Terence Williams, both of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, of Columbia, Charles F. Reid, Patrick G. Dennis and Richard L. Pearce, all of Columbia, for Respondent James H. "Jay:" Lucas. . Kenneth M. Moffitt and Edward Houseal Bender, both of Columbia, for Intervenor.

The Court accepted this case in its original jurisdiction to review the constitutionality of section 6 of Act 114 of 2007 and proviso 84.18 of Act 91 of 2015.

 10:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 15-15-5)  
2015-001441   South Carolina Public Interest Foundation and Edward D. Sloan, Jr., individually, and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Petitioners, v. James Rozier, as Chairman of the Commission on the Department of Transportation, James H "Jay" Lucas, as Speaker of the S.C. House of Representatives, Henry D. McMaster, as President of the S.C. Senate, and The State of South Carolina, Respondents. Hugh K. Leatherman, Sr., in his capacity as President Pro Tempore of the South Carolina Senate, Intervenor.

James G. Carpenter, of The Carpenter Law Firm, of Greenville, for Petitioners. Attorney General Alan M. Wilson and Deputy Solicitor General J. Emory Smith, Jr., both of Columbia, for Respondents, State of South Carolina, et al. Michael Anzelmo, Blake T. Williams, Charles F. Reid, Patrick G. Dennis and Richard L. Pearce, all of Columbia, for Respondent James H. "Jay" Lucas. Andrew F. Lindemann, of Davidson & Lindemann, P.A., of Columbia, for Respondent James Rozier. Kenneth M. Moffitt and Edward H. Bender, both of Columbia, for Intervenor.

The Court accepted this case in its original jurisdiction to review the constitutionality of section 6 of Act 114 of 2007 and proviso 84.18 of Act 91 of 2015.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Supreme Court Courtroom
 09:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 10-10-5)  
2015-001726   Jane Doe, Petitioner, v. State of South Carolina, Respondent.

Bakari T. Sellers, and Alexandra M. Benevento, both of Strom Law Firm; and John S. Nichols, of Bluestein, Nichols, Thompson & Delgado, all of Columbia, for Petitioner. Attorney General Alan Wilson, Solicitor General Robert D. Cook, Deputy Solicitor General J. Emory Smith, Jr., and Assistant Attorney General Brendan J. McDonald, all of Columbia, for Respondent.

This Court granted Jane Doe's petition for original jurisdiction to consider whether the definition of "household member" in S.C. Code Ann. § 16-25-10(3) (Supp. 2015) of the Domestic Violence Reform Act and S.C. Code Ann. § 20-4-20(b) (2014) of the Protection from Domestic Abuse Act are unconstitutional under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.

 10:00 a.m. (Time Limits: 10-10-5)  
2014-001106   The State, Respondent, v. Ricky Dale Pace, Appellant.

Chief Appellate Defender Robert M. Dudek and Appellate Defender Lara M. Caudy, both of Columbia, for Appellant. Attorney General Alan Wilson and Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Deborah R. J. Shupe, both of Columbia and Solicitor David M. Stumbo, of Greenwood, for Respondent.

This Court certified Ricky Dale Pace's appeal to determine whether the admission of a videotaped forensic interview of a criminal sexual conduct victim pursuant to section 17-23-175 of the South Carolina Code (2015) violated Pace's rights under the Confrontation Clause.

 10:30 a.m. (Time Limits: 30-30-10)  
2013-001968   Bobby Wayne Stone, Petitioner, v. State of South Carolina, Respondent.

John H. Blume, III, of Cornell Law School, of Ithaca, New York and Emily C. Paavola, of Justice 360, of Columbia, for Petitioner. Attorney General Alan M. 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.

This case is a death penalty post-conviction relief appeal to the Supreme Court.

 

Cases to be Submitted Without Oral Argument

Brenda Gail Cutro, Petitioner, v. State of South Carolina, Respondent.

Appellate Defender David Alexander, of Columbia, for Petitioner. Attorney General Alan M. Wilson and Senior Assistant Attorney General David M. Spencer, both of Columbia, for Respondent.

Susan Tappeiner, Petitioner, v. State of South Carolina, Respondent,

Tara Dawn Shurling, of Columbia, for Petitioner. Attorney General Alan M. Wilson and Assistant Attorney General James Rutledge Johnson, both of Columbia, for Respondent.

Reginald Montgomery, Petitioner, v. State of South Carolina, Respondent.

Appellate Defender Kathrine H. Hudgins, of Columbia, for Petitioner. Attorney General Alan M. Wilson and Assistant Attorney General J. Clayton Mitchell, both of Columbia, for Respondent.

John Forrest Ham, Jr., Petitioner, v. State of South Carolina, Respondent.

Appellate Defender Tiffany L. Butler, of Columbia, for Petitioner. Attorney General Alan M. Wilson and Assistant Attorney General Ashley A. McMahan, both of Columbia, for Respondent.

John Forrest Ham, Jr, Petitioner, v. State of South Carolina, Respondent.

Appellate Defender Benjamin John Tripp, of Columbia, for Petitioner. Attorney General Alan M. Wilson and Senior Assistant Attorney General Karen Christine Ratigan, both of Columbia, for Respondent.

The State, Respondent, v. Erick E. Hewins, Petitioner.

Erick E. Hewins, of McCormick, Pro se Petitioner. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson, Assistant Attorney General Mary Leddon, Assistant Attorney General Susannah Rawl Cole, all of Columbia and Solicitor William Walter Wilkins, III, of Greenville, all for Respondent.