Marlboro County Magistrate Court cases in Marlboro County, Bennettsville, SC
Marlboro County Magistrates Court in Bennettsville, South Carolina, is a county magistrate (summary) court within the South Carolina Unified Judicial System. It handles lower-level criminal and civil matters, including misdemeanor offenses punishable by up to 30 days in jail and/or a $500 fine, traffic and ordinance violations, and it conducts bond hearings, issues arrest and search warrants, and holds preliminary hearings in felony cases before they proceed to the Court of General Sessions. On the civil side, it hears small claims, landlord-tenant/eviction actions, claim and delivery, and other cases within its monetary jurisdiction (up to $7,500). The court conducts jury and nonjury trials for matters within its authority. Family law matters such as divorce, custody, and juvenile cases are not heard here and are handled by the Family Court.
Marlboro County Magistrate Court Contact and Location Information
| Court Type: | Magistrate Court |
| County: | Marlboro |
| Street Address: | 249 Throop St. |
| City: | Bennettsville |
| Zip Code: | 29512 |
| Phone: | 843-479-5620 |
| Fax: | 843-479-5646 |
| Hours: | Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 5:00PM |
| Website URL: | https://marlborocounty.sc.gov/government/elected-officials/clerk-court |
| Forms & Filing: | https://www.sccourts.org/forms/searchType.cfm |
| Dockets / Schedule / Calendar: | https://publicindex.sccourts.org/Marlboro/PublicIndex/PISearch.aspx |
| Languages: | Multiple |
| Email: | marlborococ@bellsouth.net |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marlboro-County-Magistrate-Office/810948789076428 |
| About / Additional Info: | The Magistrate Court of Marlboro County is apprised of four Magistrates and is housed in the Justice Complex on Throop Street beside the Detention Center. Magistrates have criminal jurisdiction over all offenses which are subject to penalty of a fine not exceeding $500.00 or imprisonment not exceeding 30 days, or both. Magistrates may hear cases transferred from general sessions, the penalty for which does not exceed one year imprisonment or a fine of $5,000, or both, upon petition by the solicitor and agreement by the defendant. Generally , magistrates have civil jurisdiction when the amount in controversy does not exceed $7,500. In addition, Magistrates are responsible for setting bail, conducting preliminary hearings, and issuing arrest and search warrants. Unlike circuit courts and probate courts, Magistrate Courts are not courts of record. Proceedings in Magistrate Courts are summary. The four Magistrates for Marlboro County are: Chief Magistrate Mia David Weaver, Magistrate Grover McQueen, and Magistrate Rob Stanton. |
Services and Case Types Handled in Marlboro County Magistrate Court
Marlboro County Magistrates Court serves the public by:
- Criminal and traffic: processes citations; handles most misdemeanors and ordinance violations; conducts bond hearings; issues arrest/search warrants; holds preliminary hearings; and conducts bench and jury trials.
- Civil (small claims): accepts and adjudicates monetary disputes within the magistrate jurisdiction; landlord-tenant matters (including evictions and rent disputes); and claim-and-delivery (recovery of personal property).
- Protective orders: receives and rules on restraining orders for harassment/stalking; domestic Orders of Protection are handled by Family Court.
- Case filings and records: accepts civil filings, motions, warrant applications, subpoenas, and jury trial requests; provides scheduling, copies, and certifications.
- Jury services: summons, qualifies, and manages jurors for magistrate-level trials; handles excuses/deferrals and attendance.
- Payments and compliance: collects fines, fees, and traffic payments; processes compliance and appearance matters.
- Hearings: schedules and conducts criminal, traffic, and civil hearings and trials.