Opinion ID: 1255318
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: uniform jurisdiction

Text: Schmitz contends the Municipal Courts violate a second requirement of Article V, § 1, that of uniform jurisdiction. Again, we disagree. In State ex rel. Riley v. Martin , 274 S.C. 106, 262 S.E. (2d) 404 (1980), the statute creating an intermediate Court of Appeals was held not to violate the uniform jurisdiction requirement. We stated: The subject-matter jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals, within the area of its judicial authority, just as with the Supreme Court and Circuit Court, is the same throughout the State . Since the subject-matter jurisdiction is the same throughout the State, it is a Court of uniform jurisdiction within the meaning of Article 5, Section 1. [Emphasis in original]. Applying the Riley v. Martin test here, we hold that Municipal Courts in South Carolina possess uniform jurisdiction as set out in § 14-25-45. The jurisdiction of these Courts is identical throughout the State.