Judiciary committee gives favorable report to Jimmy Arthur Richardson for 15th-circuit solicitor

The Senate Judiciary Committee gave a favorable report to Jimmy Arthur Richardson’s nomination as solicitor for the 15th judicial circuit, sending the nomination to the full Senate after a unanimous committee vote.

Richardson, who was administered the oath at the start of his screening, told the panel he lives in Conway and is committed to serving the full term. Committee counsel summarized Richardson’s background: a 1992 BA from the University of South Carolina Coastal, a 1997 JD from Regent University Law School, membership in the South Carolina Bar since 1997, and years of service in the Horry County solicitor’s office culminating in a gubernatorial appointment effective Dec. 12, 2012 for a term expiring January 2015.

Why it matters: The committee used the screening to assess Richardson’s qualifications and management approach for the 15th circuit. Senators pressed him on administrative practices and program outcomes tied to docket management and diversion programs.

During questioning Richardson described local practices and a focus on case-processing goals: "we are always striving for the goal of having cases settled within 6 months or 180 days," he said. He also highlighted his office’s drug-court results, noting that a study of the first 100 participants showed the group entered with roughly 1,100 felonies collectively and that the cohort had recorded one subsequent felony since graduating, a statistic he cited as evidence of the program’s effectiveness.

The committee accepted a motion to report the nomination favorably and indicated the tally was unanimous by show of hands; the chair said the committee would send the nomination to the Senate desk and that the full Senate could take it up next week.

Next steps: The nomination will remain at the desk for three days to allow other senators to raise questions before floor consideration by the full Senate.