Anderson County Court House Information
Anderson County court cases are usually heard in just one location, the Anderson County Court House.
District Court
Anderson County falls under the 10th Judicial Circuit in South Carolina. This includes the Court of General Sessions, Court of Common Pleas, Magistrate Court, Family Court, Juvenile Court, Masters-in-Equity, and Probate Court.
Circuit court judges are elected by the General Assembly to staggered terms of six years.
Civil Court
In South Carolina, the Civil Court is referred to as the Court of Common Pleas, handling non-criminal matters. When the amount in dispute is less than $7,500, the case is addressed in Small Claims Court. For disputes involving amounts over $7,500, the Court of Common Pleas presides over the case.
Criminal Court – Court of General Sessions
In South Carolina, the Criminal Court is known as the Court of General Sessions. It handles adult misdemeanor cases with penalties exceeding 30 days in jail or fines over $500, as well as adult felony cases. The General Sessions Court has the authority to impose sentences up to and including the death penalty.
Juvenile Court
Juvenile Court, a division of Family Court, handles the criminal prosecution of individuals under the age of 18. However, in some cases, minors may be tried as adults and their cases transferred to the Court of General Sessions.
Drug Court – Treatment Court
Drug Court is a court-supervised program providing a voluntary alternative to incarceration for non-violent offenders. The program, which focuses on drug treatment and rehabilitation, lasts 18 months.
To participate, individuals must first plead guilty and receive a sentence. The judge then suspends the sentence or transfers it to the program. However, if the individual fails to complete the program, they will be required to serve the original sentence.
Municipal Court
The Municipal Court handles cases involving violations of municipal ordinances, as well as offenses punishable by fines up to $500 and/or a jail sentence of 30 days or less. Additionally, this court may hear cases transferred from General Sessions Court if the penalty is a jail sentence of one year or less and/or a fine not exceeding $5,000.
Chief Administrative Judges
- The Honorable R. Lawton McIntosh
- The Honorable Karen F. Ballenger
- The Honorable Wynee Denise Eubanks
- The Honorable Carey Bruce Murphy
Circuit Court Judges
- The Honorable R. Lawton McIntosh
Magistrates
- The Honorable Mary F. Cole
- The Honorable Nancy W. Devine
- The Honorable Linda C. Dudley-Graham
- The Honorable Wynee D. Eubanks
- The Honorable Ronald L. Gambrell
- The Honorable James D. Green, Jr.
- The Honorable Samuel M. Lollis
- The Honorable Sherry E. Mattison
- The Honorable Carey B. Murphy
- The Honorable Samuel T. Tucker, III
- The Honorable James W. White
Contact Information
Address: 100 S Main St, Anderson, SC 29624
Phone: (864) 260-4000
Website: https://www.andersoncountysc.org/
