Why some SC judges will be demoted this week

South Carolina’s legal community got a shakeup this week, learning new chief magistrate judges had been appointed in most of the Palmetto State’s 46 counties.

The moves also will affect everyday South Carolinians, who are most likely to interact with the court system at the magistrate’s level, where cases involving minor crimes and civil disputes are heard.

S.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Donald Beatty signed an order Wednesday naming new chief magistrates in 31 of 46 counties. The changes take effect Saturday.

Reached Thursday by The State, Beatty said there was nothing more to the move than his desire to rotate the chief judgeship in magistrate courts, as is the practice in other courts.

“I think they should be rotated on a regular basis,” Beatty said, adding, “(T)here's no better time than now.”

Magistrates are city and county judges who handle crimes with penalties of $500 or less and civil disputes involving up to $7,500. They also issue search warrants.

There are 317 magistrates in the state. There pay varies across the state and is based on a percentage of the pay of higher Circuit Court judges. Chief magistrate judges get a salary bump of $3,000 for full-time judges and $1,500 for part-time judges plus travel reimbursement, according to state law.

Two Midlands counties are affected by the changes.

In Lexington County, Beatty promoted Rebecca Adams to chief magistrate and, in Kershaw County, he promoted James Davis to chief magistrate. Both previously were associate chief judges.

Beatty reappointed chief magistrates in 15 counties: Bamberg, Beaufort, Calhoun, Chester, Darlington, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Marlboro, Oconee, Richland, Saluda, Sumter and Williamsburg.

The changes came as a surprise to some magistrates who called legislators in their counties, those lawmakers told The State.

According to the S.C. Judicial Department website, chief magistrates and associate magistrates are appointed to six-month terms. However, most serve far longer. A review of the seven terms from 2014 to present found most chief magistrates have held that post for most of the time.

This story was originally published June 29, 2017 at 5:37 PM with the headline "Why some SC judges will be demoted this week."