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Judge Rodger E. Edmonds Elected President of The SCSCJA
     
 
 
September 26, 2006
Judge Edmonds, the Chief Summary Court Judge of Aiken County, was elected on September 16th at the Annual Summary Court Judges Convention in Myrtle Beach as the new President of the Judges Association. Judge Edmonds has served as an Officer of the Association for the past eleven years, working his way up from Treasurer, to Magistrate Vice-President and now to the Office of President. Judge Edmonds has served as the North Augusta / Belvedere Magistrate for over eighteen years and as Chief Judge for the past six years.

The Summary Court Association is a voluntary organization which serves as the coordinating agency for South Carolina Summary Courts and the Offices of the South Carolina Court Administration and is designed to coordinate matters of interest with the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. The Association is devoted to the improvement of the judiciary by the promotion of professionalism, education and legislation affecting the Summary Courts and the administration of fair and equal justice in accordance with the law.

The Summary Courts consist of the Magistrate and Municipal Courts of South Carolina. A Summary Court is probably the only Court that South Carolinians may ever experience. Matters in these two Courts do not require the litigations to be handled by an attorney.

Judge Rodger Edmonds

There are approximately 319 magistrates in South Carolina, each serving the county for which he or she is appointed. They are appointed by the Governor upon the advice and consent of the Senate for four year terms and until their successors are appointed and qualified. 

The council of each municipality may establish, by ordinance, a Municipal Court to hear and determine all cases within its jurisdiction. A Municipal Court has the same jurisdiction as the Magistrate Court over criminal offenses.

Magistrates have criminal trial jurisdiction over offenses which are subject to the penalty of a fine not exceeding $2500.00 or imprisonment not exceeding 90 days, or both. In addition, S.C. Code Ann. § 22-3-545 provides that magistrates may hear cases transferred from general sessions, the penalty for which does not exceed one year imprisonment or a fine of $5,000, or both, upon petition by the solicitor and agreement by the defendant.

Magistrates have civil jurisdiction when the amount in controversy does not exceed $7,500. A Magistrate has jurisdiction as to those Landlord / Tenant matters that fall under the South Carolina Residential Landlord / Tenant Act, regardless of the dollar amount in controversy. In addition, magistrates are responsible for setting bail, conducting preliminary hearings, and issuing arrest and search warrants.
 
 
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