LibGuides: Criminal Law:

Search South Carolina Criminal Laws & Cases

SC Code of Laws: South Carolina Legislature Website
Search current state crimes on the website for the SC General Assembly. You may access previous versions of the SC Code on its Archives page.
Title 16: SC Code of Laws: Crimes & Offenses
Title 17: SC Code of Laws: Criminal Procedures
United States Code
To find federal crimes and procedures, browse or search Title18 of the United States Code.

SC Cases: South Carolina Judicial Department Website
Search SC Supreme Court opinions through 1997 and SC Court of Appeals opinions through 1999. Website also provides locations and contact information for trial courts and court officials.
Google Scholar
Select "Case Law", then click on "Select courts."You can search South Carolina, other state cases, and federal cases, individually or together. This search engine is easy to search and includes cases decided much earlier than the 1990s.

South Carolina Criminal Offenses

South Carolina Criminal Offenses and Penalties by Douglas S. Strickler
Call Number: KFS 2363.Z9 S88 2017
Publication Date: 2017 edition
Criminal Offenses in South Carolina by John R. Ferguson
Call Number: KFS 2366.8 .F47
Publication Date: 2019-2020
South Carolina Crimes: Elements and Defenses by Miller W. Shealy, Margaret M. Lawton
Call Number: KFS2379 .S54 2009
Publication Date: 2009 & 2012 Supplement
South Carolina Criminal Law and Motor Vehicle Handbook
Call Number: KFS2361.A29 S665
Publication Date: 2018/2019
South Carolina Requests to Charge: Criminal by Ralph King Anderson
Call Number: KFS2383 .A9 E79 2012
Publication Date: 2nd edition, 2012
Excellent resource for finding key South Carolina cases outlining the elements and defenses for specific South Carolina crimes.

South Carolina Criminal Law & Procedure

The Criminal Law of South Carolina by William Shepard McAninch, W. Gaston Fairey, Lesley M. Coggiola
Call Number: KFS2361 .M22 2013
Publication Date: 6th edition 2013
Criminal Procedure for South Carolina Practitioners by Miller W. Shealy, Jr. and Margaret M. Lawton
Call Number: KFS 2379 .S543 2011
Publication Date: 2011 & 2014 Supplement
The Fourth Amendment: A Step-by-Step Guide to Search and Seizure Jurisprudence in South Carolina by Melanie McCulley Yenovkian; Jeffrey K. Gurney
Call Number: KFS2377.5 .Y46 2014
Publication Date: 2014
South Carolina Drug Case Tool Kit by Ronnie M. Cole, John D. Newkirk, Michael O. Hallman
Call Number: KFS 2371 .D7 C66 2013
Publication Date: 2d edition, 2013
Drug Litigation in South Carolina by Melanie McCulley Yenovkian; Jeffrey K. Gurney
Call Number: KFS2371.D6 M33 2014
Publication Date: 4th edition, 2014

Your Local Library

Your local public, technical college, or university library may have the South Carolina Code Annotated in print and books on legal topics.

Some public libraries in South Carolina provide its patrons with access to Westlaw. Check with your college or university for access to NexisUni. Both electronic databases allow you to search state and federal laws and read about specific topics in legal encyclopedias and journals.

Understanding Your Rights

Your Rights Upon Arrest: SC Bar
FAQs: SC Criminal Court: SC Judicial Department Website
Juvenile Justice: SC Bar
Resources and links laws and assistance with juvenile justice issues. Also, see our Children's Law guide.
Magistrate and Municipal Rights of Defendants: SC Bar
LawHelp.org/SC
Understanding Your Legal Issue: Criminal Law
Click the button at the top of the page for Spanish and other languages.
SC Crime Victims' Constitutional Rights
SC Victim Assistance Network
The SC Victim Assistance Network seeks to "provide support services for victims of crime and to prevent future crimes through advocacy, education, public awareness and technical assistance."

Court Rules & Forms

SC Judicial Department Website: Court Rules
Choose by court, for example, Criminal or Magistrate, Evidence, Appellate.
SC Judicial Department Website: Court Forms
All SC Court Forms. Choose from the drop-down arrow. Browse or search by title or form ID.
SC Forms Index: General Sessions (Criminal)
Browse or search General Sessions (Circuit Court) forms from the SC Judicial Department website.
USC Law Library
SC Forms Index: Magistrate/Municipal
Browse or search Magistrate/Municipal Court forms from the SC Judicial Department website.
USC Law Library
Filing for an Order of Protection: SC Judicial Department
Forms and a link to the SC Legal Services Manual on Filing for an Order of Protection in SC.
Video: Self-Help Order of Protection Forms: LawHelp/SC

Agency Websites

SC Department of Corrections
Provides information for families (including an Inmate Search) and information and services for victims.
Safe Place South Carolina
Find help for you or a loved on suffering from domestic violence.
S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services
Parole hearing schedules, victims services information, and access to a downloadable pardon application.
SC Department of Crime Victim Compensation
For victims to learn about their rights, determine if they are eligible, and apply for compensation for costs related to injuries received as a result of a crime that occurred in South Carolina.

Expungements & Pardons in South Carolina

S.C. Bar: FAQs About Expungement & Pardons in S.C. Courts
Although not legal advice or legal authority, the S.C. Bar maintains this website to respond to frequently asked questions relating to expungement and pardons in South Carolina.
SC Bar Clinics Schedule
Check for clinics on Expungement Law Issues.
S.C. Center for Fathers & Families Expungement Guide
Complete guide to expungement in S.C., including contact information for your Solicitor's office (see Appendix 1).
S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services
Parole hearing schedules, victims services information, and access to a downloadable pardon application.
SC Legal Services Brochure: Overcoming a Criminal Record
Information on which offenses can be expunged in South carolina and how to apply for an expungement or pardon.
SC Legal Services: Calendar of Free Legal Clinics
Check the calendar for expungement clinics.
S.C. Judicial Department: Expungements in S.C.
Information on the expungement application process for general sessions and summary courts in S.C.
SC Restoration of Rights, Pardon & Sealing
Information on restoring your right to vote and expunging your criminal record in South Carolina.
SC Department of Juvenile Justice Expungement Fact Sheet.

SC laws relating to the expungement of criminal records include:

Magistrates' Duties in Criminal Matters
S.C. Code of Laws: §§ 22-5-910 to -930.
Uniform Expungement of Criminal Records Act
S.C. Code of Laws: §§ 17-22-910 to -1010.
SC Children's Code: Petition for expungement of official records.
See S.C. Code Ann. § 63-19-250. Also, see our Children's Law guide.

Post-Conviction in South Carolina

South Carolina Post Conviction Relief Manual by Ashley Haworth, paralegal, J. Rutledge Johnson, Esquire, and Jessica E. Kinard, Esquire.
Call Number: KFS2384 .H39 2017
Publication Date: 3rd edition, 2017

Criminal Law: