9th Judicial Circuit Court cases in Charleston County, Charleston, SC
Charleston County Circuit Court is South Carolina's Circuit Court (Ninth Judicial Circuit) sitting in Charleston and serves as the state court of general jurisdiction. It is divided into the Court of Common Pleas (civil) and the Court of General Sessions (criminal). The court hears major civil matters (e.g., contracts, torts, real property, and other cases beyond magistrate jurisdiction) and prosecutes felony and higher-level misdemeanor criminal cases. It also has limited appellate jurisdiction over appeals from municipal and magistrate courts within Charleston County. Routine family matters (divorce, custody, juvenile) are handled by the separate Family Court, and most traffic and ordinance violations are handled by municipal or magistrate courts.
9th Judicial Circuit Court Contact and Location Information
| Court Type: | Circuit Court |
| County: | Charleston |
| Street Address: | 100 Broad St. |
| City: | Charleston |
| Zip Code: | 29401 |
| Phone: | 843-958-5000 |
| Fax: | 843-958-5020 |
| Hours: | Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 5:00PM |
| Website URL: | https://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/clerk-of-court/circuit-court.php |
| Directions: | From Mt. PleasantTake the Cooper River Bridge into Charleston. Get off on Downtown Meeting Street South. Follow Meeting Street south towards the Market area. After you have passed Market Street, continue to the next block, which is Cumberland. Turn Left. The parking garage is directly on your left. When exiting the garage, return to Meeting Street and continue south towards Broad Street. The Judicial Center is between the Historic Courthouse, which sits directly on the corner of Broad and Meeting, and the O.T. Wallace building located on Meeting Street.From the North AreaTake I-26 headed into the City of Charleston. Get into the far left lane, which says Meeting Street Visitors Information. Continue down Meeting Street towards the Market area. After you have passed Market Street, continue to the next block, which is Cumberland. Turn Left. The parking garage is directly on your left. When exiting the garage, return to Meeting Street and continue south towards Broad Street. The Judicial Center is between the Historic Courthouse, which sits directly on the corner of Broad and Meeting, and the O.T. Wallace building located on Meeting Street.From James IslandTake the James Island Connector toward downtown Charleston. Exit on Lockwood South and follow onto Broad Street. Follow Broad Street to Meeting Street and turn left onto Meeting. Go two blocks and turn right on Cumberland Street. The garage is on your immediate left. When exiting the garage, return to Meeting Street and continue south towards Broad Street. The Judicial Center is between the Historic Courthouse, which sits directly on the corner of Broad and Meeting, and the O.T. Wallace building located on Meeting Street.From West AshleyTake Savannah Highway North/US 17 towards downtown Charleston. Once on the Cross-Town, use the Lockwood South exit. Follow onto Broad Street. Follow Broad Street to Meeting Street and turn left onto Meeting. Go two blocks and turn right on Cumberland Street. The garage is on your immediate left. When exiting the garage, return to Meeting Street and continue south towards Broad Street. The Judicial Center is between the Historic Courthouse, which sits directly on the corner of Broad and Meeting, and the O.T. Wallace building located on Meeting Street. |
| Restrictions: | No tank tops, shorts, hats or "flip-flop" sandals are allowed.The guards on duty are required to confiscate such contraband items as guns, knives, mace, or other implements which could be used as weapons or are considered a danger to the court. If you own such items, you should leave them at home. |
| Forms & Filing: | https://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/clerk-of-court/forms.php#go |
| Dockets / Schedule / Calendar: | https://jcmsweb.charlestoncounty.org/PublicIndex/PISearch.aspx |
| Jury Service: | https://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/clerk-of-court/jury-service.php#go |
| Languages: | Multiple |
| Email: | webmaster@charlestoncounty.org |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/SCSolicitor9/ |
| ADA: | ADA coordinator |
| ADA Fax / Email: | vsoucy@charlestoncounty.org |
| 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.9th Judicial Circuit Court consists of Berkeley and Charleston counties. |
| Wikipedia: | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina_Circuit_Court |
Services and Case Types Handled in 9th Judicial Circuit Court
Charleston County Circuit Court is South Carolina's court of general jurisdiction, serving the public through two divisions: Common Pleas (civil) and General Sessions (criminal). Key functions include:
- Case intake, filings, docketing, scheduling, and public records/certified copies.
- Civil matters: contract and tort disputes, property/foreclosures, liens, post-judgment enforcement, and civil injunctions/temporary restraining orders; jury and non-jury trials; motion and settlement/mediation hearings.
- Criminal matters: indictments, pretrial motions, pleas, jury trials, and sentencing for felonies and serious misdemeanors.
- Appeals: reviews from magistrate and municipal courts, and certain administrative appeals as authorized.
- Jury services: juror summons, qualification, orientation, and management of petit and grand juries.
- Support services: e-filing (where available), fee processing, subpoenas, and notices.