2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 1 - General Provisions › Section 8-1-115. Lien on public retirement or pension plan of persons convicted of embezzling public funds; procedures; exceptions.

(A) There is hereby created a general lien upon any public retirement or pension plan not governed by ERISA of any public officer, public employee, or any other person who is convicted of an offense involving embezzlement or misappropriation of public funds or public property to the private use of himself or any other person, to the extent of the total loss, damage, and expense to the State, or to a county or municipality, or to any agency or political subdivision of the State, or to any state, county or municipal agency, any college or university, or to any school, special or public service district within the State, that is authorized by law to perform a governmental function or provide a governmental service.
(B)(1) The presiding judge before whom any public officer, employee, or any other person is convicted of an offense described in subsection (A) must send to the Attorney General and the appropriate retirement or pension plan system a notice of the lien showing the name of the person convicted whose retirement or pension plan is subject to the lien created by subsection (A) and the date of the conviction, which is the date upon which the lien attaches. The presiding judge must set the lien at the time of conviction and the presiding judge's notice of lien must state the amount of the lien.
(2)(a) Within ten days of the date of conviction, the convicted person's spouse or representative of the convicted person's minor children may file a petition with the presiding judge requesting the judge to dissolve the lien, in whole or in part, in favor of the spouse or minor children because the spouse or minor children would suffer extreme financial hardship if the lien were to attach. If the petition is filed, the lien is stayed pending a hearing on the petition and the ruling of the judge. Any benefits occurring during the stay accrue to the potential benefit of the spouse and minor children, if the petition is successful, and do not accrue to the benefit of the convicted person. The judge's ruling must be based on clear and convincing evidence that the spouse or minor children would suffer extreme financial hardship were the lien to attach and that the spouse or minor children have not been convicted of the same offense involving the embezzlement of public funds for which the lien was created. To the extent that the lien is dissolved in whole or in part in favor of the spouse or minor children, the appropriate retirement or pension plan system is directed to make payment directly to the spouse or representative of the minor children. The dissolution extends only until the minor children reach majority or the spouse dies or remarries at which time the lien reattaches.
(b) If the convicted person is divorced and is subject to a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) pursuant to Section 9-18-10, et seq., then the lien shall not attach to the alternate payee's portion of the retirement benefit, unless the alternate payee has been convicted of the same offense involving embezzlement of public funds for which the lien was created. The pension plan is directed to make payment to the alternate payee in accordance with the provisions of the QDRO.
(c) If the convicted person's pension benefit is subject to an order for child support, then the lien shall not attach to the portion of the convicted person's benefit which goes to pay support for any minor child who has not been convicted of the same offense involving embezzlement of public funds for which the lien was created.
(C) In addition to any other sentence imposed upon a person convicted of an offense described in subsection (A) and taking into account the petition process set forth in subsection (B), the presiding judge may require full restitution of all public funds embezzled or misappropriated and full payment for the conversion, use, and value of public property appropriated to private use and may provide for an indeterminate sentence of incarceration or probation, or both, until restitution in full has been made.
(D) The Attorney General is charged with an affirmative duty to recover public funds and property embezzled or converted to private use, or the value thereof, and he or his designee may bring an action to enforce the lien created by this section at any time up to the death of a person whose retirement or pension plan is subject to the lien created by subsection (A).
(E) The Attorney General or his designee shall file a satisfaction and discharge of the lien created by this section after restitution has been made by payment of the amount of the lien in full or after the death of the person whose retirement or pension plan is subject to the lien created by subsection (A). If the beneficiary of the person whose retirement or pension plan is subject to the lien created by subsection (A) was, himself, convicted of the same offense involving the embezzlement or misappropriation of public funds or public property for which the lien was created, the lien must continue until restitution has been made or until the death of the beneficiary.
(F) The lien created by this section and the action to enforce the lien are cumulative and in addition to all other remedies provided by law.
HISTORY: 2001 Act No. 16, Section 1, eff April 10, 2001.
Editor's Note
2001 Act No. 16, Section 6, provides as follows:
"This act is intended to create remedies to more efficiently recover restitution due to state and local governmental entities in cases involving embezzlement or misappropriation of public funds or public property to the private use of a public officer or employee, or any other person. As such, it is remedial legislation intended to be retroactive as well as prospective in its application, so as to attach the general lien created by Section 8-1-115(A) to any public retirement or pension plan not governed by ERISA of any public officer, public employee, or any other person who has been convicted of an offense described in Section 8-1-115(A). In cases where a living person was convicted of an offense described in Section 8-1-115(A) before the effective date of this act, the lien attaches to their public retirement or pension plan not governed by ERISA immediately upon approval of this act by the Governor. In cases concluded before the effective date of this act the Attorney General or his designee may send the notice of lien required by Section 8-1-115(B) to the appropriate retirement or pension plan system instead of the presiding judge."