Chesterfield County judicial committee recommends denying magistrate’s request to serve McBee and Jefferson
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Summary
The county judicial committee voted 3–0 with one abstention to recommend denying a request that a full-time Chesterfield County magistrate assume part-time municipal judgeships in McBee and Jefferson, citing a state statute restricting outside work during county hours and concerns about role separation.
The Chesterfield County judicial committee voted to recommend denying a request for a full-time county magistrate to take on part-time municipal judgeships in McBee and Jefferson.
The motion to decline the request passed with three votes in favor and one abstention. The committee chair (unnamed) opened the discussion after the panel exited an executive session on a contract-related matter and said the committee needed to decide what recommendation to take to the full council.
A committee member cited state law during the meeting, saying, "That would be pursuant to South Carolina code section 30 dash 4 dash 70 subsection A2," and described the provision as applying to proposed contractual arrangements and attorney-client privileged legal advice. The chair emphasized following the rules, telling colleagues, "I believe in the rules, and I believe in following the rules." Committee members debated whether a county-level denial would halt the process or whether court administration and the Chief Justice could still approve a municipal appointment after the county and town governing bodies reviewed an agreement.
Members raised practical concerns. Several said municipal courts in McBee and Jefferson are short-staffed and argued that blocking the magistrate could leave coverage gaps. Others countered that full-time magistrates employed by the county should prioritize county duties during the county workday and that any outside municipal work must fit outside a 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. schedule or go through the formal approval process.
Committee members described the approval path discussed: county approval, agreement with the municipal governing body, review by court administration and final approval by the Chief Justice. One member summarized the committee’s role: permitting the county-level process to continue or stopping it before it proceeds to court administration.
The chair announced the committee’s recorded result: three votes in favor of the motion to deny and one abstention. The committee also confirmed that no motions or votes were taken during the executive session. The recommendation will be forwarded to the full Chesterfield County council for further action.
No individual full names of committee members were provided in the transcript; speakers are identified by their positions in the meeting record.
