(A) The General Assembly shall elect a number of family court judges from each judicial circuit as follows: First Circuit Four Judges Second Circuit Two Judges Third Circuit Three Judges Fourth Circuit Three Judges Fifth Circuit Four Judges Sixth Circuit Two Judges Seventh Circuit Four Judges Eighth Circuit Three Judges Ninth Circuit Six Judges Tenth Circuit Three Judges Eleventh Circuit Three Judges Twelfth Circuit Three Judges Thirteenth Circuit Six Judges Fourteenth Circuit Three Judges Fifteenth Circuit Three Judges Sixteenth Circuit Three Judges. (B) In the following judicial circuits at least one family court judge must be a resident of each county in the circuit: fifth, seventh, tenth, twelfth, thirteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth. In those judicial circuits made up of three or more counties, at least one family court judge must be a resident of one of the counties which does not have the largest population in the circuit. In the ninth circuit, both counties in the circuit must have at least two resident family court judges. (C) No county in the sixth circuit shall have more than one resident family court judge. rcuit. In the ninth circuit, both counties in the circuit must have at least two resident family court judges. (C) No county in the sixth circuit shall have more than one resident family court judge. (D) In addition to the judges authorized by this section, there must be eight additional family court 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. 8, respectively. HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 361, Section 2; 2012 Act No. 241, Section 2, eff June 18, 2012; 2016 Act No. 253 (H.4877), Section 1, eff June 7, 2016; 2022 Act No. 232 (H.3696), Section 2, eff June 17, 2022.
South Carolina Legal Code