8th Judicial Circuit Court cases in Abbeville County, Abbeville, SC
Abbeville County Circuit Court in Abbeville, South Carolina, is the state Circuit Court and the county's court of general jurisdiction. It operates through the Court of Common Pleas (civil) and the Court of General Sessions (criminal), conducting jury and nonjury trials. The court hears civil actions such as contract, tort, and real property disputes and other matters in law and equity, and prosecutes felony and higher-level misdemeanor offenses. It also hears appeals from Abbeville County magistrate and municipal courts. Family law matters (divorce, custody, juvenile) are handled by the separate Family Court; minor traffic infractions are typically in magistrate or municipal court, while serious traffic-related crimes are prosecuted in General Sessions.
8th Judicial Circuit Court Contact and Location Information
| Court Type: | Circuit Court |
| County: | Abbeville |
| Street Address: | 102 Court Sq. |
| City: | Abbeville |
| Zip Code: | 29620 |
| Phone: | 864-366-5312 |
| Fax: | 864-366-9188 |
| Hours: | Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 5:00PM |
| Website URL: | https://abbevillecountysc.com/clerk-of-court/ |
| Restrictions: | Do not bring telephones, pagers, or any noise making devices or electronics into the courtroom. |
| Forms & Filing: | https://www.sccourts.org/forms/searchType.cfm |
| Dockets / Schedule / Calendar: | https://publicindex.sccourts.org/Abbeville/PublicIndex/PISearch.aspx |
| Languages: | Multiple |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/scsolicitor8/ |
| ADA: | Human Resources Department |
| ADA Phone: | 864-366-6690 |
| About / Additional Info: | The Circuit Court is the state's court of general jurisdiction. It has a civil court, the Court of Common Pleas, and a criminal court, the Court of General Sessions. In addition to its general trial jurisdiction, the Circuit Court has limited appellate jurisdiction over appeals from the Probate Court, Magistrate's Court, and Municipal Court.The State is divided into sixteen judicial circuits. Each circuit has at least one resident circuit judge who maintains an office in the judge's home county within the circuit. There are forty-nine circuit judges who serve the sixteen circuits on a rotating basis, with court terms and assignments determined by the Chief Justice based upon recommendations of Court Administration. Circuit court judges are elected by the General Assembly to staggered terms of six years.8th Judicial Circuit consists of Abbeville, Greenwood, Laurens and Newberry counties. |
| Wikipedia: | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina_Circuit_Court |
Services and Case Types Handled in 8th Judicial Circuit Court
Abbeville County Circuit Court is the county's court of general jurisdiction. It operates:
- General Sessions (criminal): prosecutes felonies and serious misdemeanors; conducts arraignments, motions, jury/bench trials, pleas, and sentencing.
- Common Pleas (civil): handles tort, contract, property, foreclosure, and other civil actions; enters judgments and liens.
Public services include case filings and docketing; scheduling hearings and trials; maintaining records and certified copies; and collecting filing fees. The court qualifies, summons, and manages petit juries and coordinates grand jury proceedings. It hears appeals from Magistrate and Municipal Courts. The Circuit Court issues civil injunctions and restraining orders related to pending civil matters; domestic-violence Orders of Protection are handled in Family Court. Information on calendars, juror reporting, and courtroom procedures is provided to support public access and participation.