Source: https://www.sccourts.org/summaryCourtBenchBook/MemosHTML/2018-03.htm
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 06:28:21+00:00

Document:
The procedures below are solely for defendants that are unrepresented by counsel and fail to appear on their court dates. If the defendant appears, they can be represented by counsel or the court may obtain a valid waiver of the right to counsel on the record. If a defendant appears in court with counsel, or waives their right to counsel, and is convicted, the defendant may be sentenced as prescribed by the charge convicted of, to include imprisonment if applicable.
For those courts who are on the S.C. Judicial Department's Case Management System, please note CMS will provide specific instructions on the business processing of trials in absentia upon the system's update, which is scheduled to be available for those courts on CMS by April 11, 2018. Please use the attached forms until the documents are implemented into CMS. For those courts that are not on CMS, please provide this memorandum and forms to your case management provider for implementation into their case management systems.
REMINDER: State must still prove case. Defendant is not to be automatically found guilty solely because he did not come to court.
If Defendant does not appear, court can TIA defendant, but the sentence can only be a fine. No jail, no suspended sentence.
If the court is not willing to do fine only, Defendant MUST be rescheduled for another court date and informed of his right to counsel. Not TIA.
If Defendant is found guilty, case is disposed as TIA. Disposition is sent to DMV and SLED.
Defendant can pay online, in person, or mail - case is complete.
Defendant can request a post-trial hearing on the merits of the case, the amount of the fine, and his right to STP.
Notice of Trial in Absentia (SCCA/520) will inform the Defendant of these rights.
Defendant must contact the court to arrange a hearing to establish a payment plan.
Defendant will not be arrested or required to pay anything at this hearing.
In any offense carrying a fine or imprisonment, the judge or magistrate hearing the case shall, upon a decision of guilty of the accused being determined and it being established that he is indigent at that time, set up a reasonable payment schedule for the payment of such fine, taking into consideration the income, dependents and necessities of life of the individual.
Such payments shall be made to the magistrate or clerk of court as the case may be until such fine is paid in full.
Failure to comply with the payment schedule shall constitute contempt of court; however, imprisonment for contempt may not exceed the amount of time of the original sentence, and where part of the fine has been paid the imprisonment cannot exceed the remaining pro rata portion of the sentence. NOT APPLICABLE IN THIS SITUATION - THERE IS NO UNDERLYING JAIL TIME .
No person found to be indigent shall be imprisoned because of inability to pay the fine in full at the time of conviction.
Entitlement to free counsel shall not be determinative as to defendant's indigency.
Not imprisonment! No issuance of a bench warrant or rule to show cause!
Refer the matter to the Department of Revenue/Set Off Debt.
If you want to incarcerate a Defendant in one of the above situations, he must be rescheduled and informed of his right to counsel. No TIA unless Defendant has waived counsel by conduct or affirmative waiver.
Defendants cannot be sentenced to jail time without being appointed, or waiving, counsel.
This procedure may provide the possibility of the defendant waiving his right to counsel.
After the judge goes through the checklist with the Defendant, the Defendant will acknowledge receiving his rights by initialing the designated areas on the checklist and signing the document.
If the Defendant refuses to initial and sign the checklist, the bonding judge should so indicate on the document, but it would still be considered that the defendant received his right to counsel.
Policy underlying the Chief Justice's September 15, 2017 memo is to keep people out of jail unless their right to counsel is honored or waived.
No sentence is issued orally on the record.
Sealed sentence is required by law. It is not opened until Defendant is brought before the court.
No sentence or money appears on the public index.
A sealed sentence does not become the judgment of the court until it is opened and read to the defendant.
The authority to change a sentence rests solely and exclusively in the hands of the sentencing judge within the exercise of his discretion.
It is an equal abuse of discretion to refuse to exercise discretionary authority when it is warranted as it is to exercise the discretion improperly.
The mere recital of the discretionary decision is not sufficient to bring into operation a determination that discretion was exercised.
It should be stated on what basis the discretion was exercised.
If trial court is in session, take Defendant before that judge.
IMPORTANT: If there is a victim in the case, victims' rights statutes must be complied with. Victim must be notified and has a right to be present.
The magistrate shall not order community service in lieu of a sentence for offenses under Title 50, for offenses under §34-11-90, or for an offense of driving under suspension pursuant to §56-1-460 when the person's driver's license was suspended pursuant to the provisions of §56-5-2990.
The magistrate must keep records on the community service hours ordered and served for each sentence.
However, after a conviction or plea for drawing and uttering a fraudulent check or other instrument in violation of §34-11-60 within the magistrate's jurisdiction, at the time of sentence the magistrate may suspend the imposition or execution of a sentence only upon a showing of satisfactory proof of restitution.
When a minimum sentence is provided for by statute, except in §34-11-90, the magistrate may not suspend that sentence below the minimum sentence provided, and penalties under Title 50 may not be suspended to an amount less than $25 unless the minimum penalty is a fine of less than that amount.
Nothing in this section may be construed to authorize or empower a magistrate to suspend a specific suspension of a right or privilege imposed under a statutory administrative penalty.
Nothing in this section may be construed to give a magistrate the right to place a person on probation.
Any municipal judge may suspend sentences imposed by him upon such terms and conditions as he deems proper including, without limitation, restitution or public service employment.
If after trial, Defendant has a jail sentence suspended upon payment of fine and Defendant does not pay the fine, the court must perform Bearden v. Georgia, 461 U.S. 660 (1983) analysis.
The reason(s) for any nonpayment, including an inability to pay.
In determining whether the individual has shown an inability to pay, you should consider not only whether his net income is at or below the current Federal Poverty Guidelines, but also whether any of his income is derived from needs-based, means-tested public assistance, whether he has dependents, and the necessities of life of the individual.
Consideration should also be given to whether the individual is homeless, incarcerated, or resides in a mental health facility, whether there are permanent or temporary limitations on the individual's ability to earn more money, and whether the person owes other court-ordered legal financial obligations.
Be sensitive to the fact that the individual may have a constitutional right to counsel if a deferred sentence is likely to be imposed or the inability to pay defense is difficult to develop or present.
After hearing the evidence, you should make findings on the record that the individual received adequate prior notice of: the hearing date/time; that failure to pay fines and assessments was the issue; the defense of inability to pay; the opportunity to bring documents and other evidence of inability to pay; and that there was a meaningful opportunity to explain the failure to pay.
Why alternative measures are not adequate to meet the State's interest in punishment and deterrence under the particular circumstances.
If the court has recalled previously issued bench warrants to evaluate the constitutionality of their issuance, the court must review the file of each case individually to determine if the bench warrant was issued properly. If the bench warrant was not properly issued, you may convert the judgment to set off debt. If the bench warrant was properly issued, it may be reissued.

References: §34
 §56
 §56
 §34
 §34
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