South Carolina S 714: A SENATE RESOLUTION TO HONOR RETIRED MAJOR GEORGE MITCHELL FOR HIS DEDICATED SERVICE TO HIS STATE AND NATION AND TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON BEING AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART FOR COURAGEOUS SERVICE IN THE LINE OF DUTY.

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 714 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 10, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 714

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTION 14-5-610, RELATING TO DIVISION OF STATE INTO SIXTEEN JUDICIAL 
CIRCUITS; NUMBER OF JUDGES TO BE ELECTED FROM EACH CIRCUIT; ELECTION OF 
ADDITIONAL JUDGES WITHOUT REGARD TO COUNTY OR CIRCUIT OF RESIDENCE, SO AS TO 
PROVIDE THAT TWO RESIDENT JUDGES ARE ELECTED FROM THE SIXTH CIRCUIT.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 14-5-610 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
14-5-610. (A) The State is divided 
into sixteen judicial circuits as follows:

 (1) 
The first circuit is composed of the counties of Calhoun, Dorchester, and 
Orangeburg.

 (2) 
The second circuit is composed of the counties of Aiken, Bamberg, and Barnwell.

 (3) 
The third circuit is composed of the counties of Clarendon, Lee, Sumter, and 
Williamsburg.

 (4) 
The fourth circuit is composed of the counties of Chesterfield, Darlington, 
Marlboro, and Dillon.

 (5) 
The fifth circuit is composed of the counties of Kershaw and Richland.

 (6) 
The sixth circuit is composed of the counties of Chester, Lancaster, and 
Fairfield.

 (7) 
The seventh circuit is composed of the counties of Cherokee and Spartanburg.

 (8) 
The eighth circuit is composed of the counties of Abbeville, Greenwood, 
Laurens, and Newberry.

 (9) 
The ninth circuit is composed of the counties of Charleston and Berkeley.

 (10) 
The tenth circuit is composed of the counties of Anderson and Oconee.

 (11) 
The eleventh circuit is composed of the counties of Lexington, McCormick, 
Saluda, and Edgefield.

 (12) 
The twelfth circuit is composed of the counties of Florence and Marion.

 (13) 
The thirteenth circuit is composed of the counties of Greenville and Pickens.

 (14) 
The fourteenth circuit is composed of the counties of Allendale, Hampton, 
Colleton, Jasper, and Beaufort.

 (15) 
The fifteenth circuit is composed of the counties of Georgetown and Horry.

 (16) 
The sixteenth circuit is composed of the counties of York and Union.

 (B) One judge must be elected from the sixth circuit. Two 
judges must be elected from the first, second, fourth, sixth, 
eighth, tenth, and sixteenth circuits. Three judges must be elected 
from the third, seventh, eleventh, twelfth, fourteenth, and fifteenth 
circuits. Five judges must be elected from the fifth, ninth, and thirteenth 
circuits.

 (C) 
In addition to the above judges authorized by this section, there must be seven 
additional circuit judges elected by the General Assembly from the State at 
large for terms of office of six years. These additional judges must be 
elected without regard to county or circuit of residence. Each office of the 
at-large judges is a separate office and is assigned numerical designations of 
Seat No. 1 through Seat No. 7, respectively.

SECTION 2. This act takes effect on July 1, 2027.

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