Terms Used In South Carolina Code 22-8-20

  • Chief magistrate: means the magistrate in each county who is designated by the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court as the chief magistrate for administrative purposes for the county which he serves. See South Carolina Code 22-8-10
Magistrates are judicial officers, and the hours they spend in the performance of their official duties are hours spent in the exercise of their judicial function. The exercise of the judicial function involves the examination of facts leading to findings, the application of law to those findings, and the ascertainment of the appropriate remedy. Time spent in the performance of judicial functions also includes time spent performing ministerial duties necessary for the exercise of the magistrates’ judicial powers, as well as necessary travel and training time. In the case of chief magistrates, the judicial function includes time necessary to perform the administrative and other duties required of a chief magistrate for administrative purposes. The classification or reclassification of magistrates as full time or part time must be made in consideration of these factors.