Source: http://m.sccourts.org/clerkOfCourtManual/displaychapter.cfm?chapter=4
Timestamp: 2013-05-18 10:52:43
Document Index: 703035671

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 14', '§ 14', '§\n14', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§\n14']

provided by the South Carolina Election Commission (§ 14-7-130). The South
October of each year. The source list is available on computer tape and list
form to support both automated and manual juror selection methods. 4.0.1 Automated Juror
Selection and Summoning S.C. Code Ann. § 14-7-140 provides for the
automation of juror selection and summoning; however, the use of a computer assisted
method of juror selection must be at the discretion of the county governing
body and approved for use by the Supreme Court. By order dated May 21, 1986,
the South Carolina Supreme Court approved such automation according to the
following conditions: Any procedures developed hereunder for the selection of jurors by
computer must first be approved by the Supreme Court prior to
implementation and use. The procedures for performing these functions by electronic data
processing equipment shall be in writing, adopted by the jury
commissioners, and kept available for public inspection in the office of
the Clerk of Court. The procedures adopted must effectively preserve the right of
public access to the process of selecting jurors and provide notice to the
public of the selection of jurors. Any computer assisted selection of jurors shall be random,
impartial, and free of discrimination in respect to any group or
individual. All other sections of Act 340 of 1986 shall be adhered to as if the
manual drawing process was being used. (S.C. Code Ann. Title 14, Chapter 7, was the
subject of Act 360 of 1986) The order continues by stating "that
the jury commissioners may adopt such procedures for computer use as they determine
necessary provided they do not conflict with the terms of this Order or the
statutory laws of this State." The physical presence of all three jury
commissioners is not required at the computerized drawing and summoning of
jurors if the governing body of the county establishes a secure procedure
allowing for their participation by other means and the Supreme Court approves
As open-ended as the order and statute may
seem with regard to the automated juror selection, the objective of both manual
and computer assisted juror selection methods is to have a random and impartial
juror selection that is free from discrimination. The full text of the
above-referenced order can be found in the "Orders" section at the
end of this chapter. 4.1 Types of Juries 4.1.1 Grand Jury Each grand jury consists of eighteen (18)
Jury Section 62-1-306 of the Probate Code
and jury management become Probate Court responsibilities. A copy of the administrative order governing
probate jury procedure can be found in the "Orders" section at the
end of this chapter. 4.2 Jury Commission The
and the Clerk of Court of Common Pleas are known as jury commissioners (§
14-7-110). If a vacancy occurs in one or two of these offices, the Probate
Judge will function as the first substitute jury commissioner and the Sheriff
will be the second substitute in the event that there are two vacancies or in
that the Probate Judge cannot participate. If more substitute jury
commissioners are needed, a resident or presiding Circuit Court Judge may
appoint substitute commissioners as needed (§ 14-7-120). Each commissioner will have custody of a key
that is unique to one of the three locks on the jury box so that all three commissioners
must be present to access the jury box (§ 14-7-180). However, in counties where
jury selection performed by computer, the jury commissioners will each have a
unique code to effect jury selection. The physical
presence of all three jury commissioners is not required at the computerized
drawing and summoning of jurors if the governing body of the county establishes
a secure procedure allowing for their participation by other means and the
Supreme Court approves such a procedure.
NOTE: Pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 14-7-220,
the drawing of jurors must be a public affair conducted in the office of the
Clerk of Court of Common Pleas and the jury commissioners must give ten days'
notice of the place, day, and hour of each of the drawings by posting a notice
in a conspicuous place on the courthouse door or by advertisement in a county
newspaper. The jury commission is charged with
preparing the jury list from a computer tape or list of qualified voters and
persons holding a valid S.C. Driver's license or a State issued identification
card. As mentioned in section 4.0, this computer tape or list is compiled and
provided to the jury commission by the State Election Commission using
information from the Department of Motor Vehicles and delivered to the county
jury commission in October of each year. This computer tape or list, as
furnished to the jury commission by the State Election Commission, constitutes
the roll of eligible jurors in the county. (§ 14-7-130) 4.3 Jury List and Jury
Box Preparation Each name on the jury list should be
successively until all names on the list are assigned a unique number. Place the numbered jury list inside of the jury box. Prepare a slip of paper for each number on the jury list, one
selection process. All three jury commissioners must be physically present at the
same location for computerized drawing unless the governing body of the county
establishes a secure procedure allowing for their participation by other means
and the Supreme Court approves such a procedure.
4.4 Juror Summoning The Clerk of Court is responsible for
a copy or informed of the substance of the Supreme Court order dated August 25,
2000, pertaining to pagers, cell phones, and other personal communication
devices in the courtroom (See "Orders" section at the end of this
will be selected from this group. (§ 14-7-1520)
Procedure for drawing a grand jury is as
follows: 4.7.1 For Drawing
the jurors of their selection to serve the following term. 4.7.2 For Drawing New Grand Jurors; The Clerk of Court will notify the jury commission to convene for
the drawing of a sufficient number of potential grand jurors. The jury box should be prepared as explained in section 4.3. The jury commissioners draw the appropriate number of capsules
list. Once the prospective grand jurors have been
qualified, the names of twelve new grand jurors and alternates for the new term
will be drawn by the clerk. 4.8.1 Procedure for
advance of a petit jury drawing, the jury commission must publish in the local
(§ 14-7-190 and § 14-7-200). Jury selection by computer was authorized by
a Supreme Court order dated May 21, 1986 (See Orders section at the end of this
chapter), provided that the plan for computerized selection was approved by the
Supreme Court. Pursuant to § 14-7-260, the Chief
determine the amount of additional jurors drawn for multiple concurrent terms:
of persons set forth in § 14-7-840, the name of the juror must be placed by the
jury commissioners on the succeeding panel of the same term, or the next term
chief magistrate. The jury commissioners shall not excuse or disqualify a juror
by the court and the reasons the juror was determined to be excused. NOTE: Please see section 4.6.2 for information regarding juror transfers. 4.11 Procedure for Petit
make an affirmation instead of oath with regard to being sworn. "Any juror in any court of this State
and effectual as if the person had taken an oath on the Holy Bible." (§
14-7-1130) Keeping this statute in mind, a sample of the voir dire oath is as follows:
objection)." 4.12 Procedure for