General Sessions Court hears criminal cases. The principal parties in these cases are the Solicitor, who represents the state, and the defendant's attorney. Depending on the nature of the offense, this judicial process may require participation of other agencies and offices between the time of an arrest and disposition of a case. Other agencies and offices may include the following:
Department of Corrections
Grand jury
Law enforcement officers
Magistrate
Parole and community corrections
Pretrial intervention program
Etc.
Schedules
General Sessions Court term (schedule) is set by the South Carolina Court Administration pursuant to final order signed by the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. The South Carolina Court Administration sets terms for six-month periods with assignment of Circuit Court Judges who preside over each term, and are subject to change.
Note: Cellular telephones, beepers, pagers, etc. are not allowed in the courtroom.