In South Carolina, judges are picked through a system where lawmakers have the final say.
A group called the Judicial Merit Selection Commission (JMSC)—mostly made up of state legislators plus some others—reviews applicants, checks their backgrounds, and picks up to three qualified finalists for each opening.
Then, the full state legislature (House and Senate together) votes to elect one from that shortlist.
Terms vary (like 10 years for Supreme Court justices), and sitting lawmakers cannot apply for these positions.
Recent tweaks in 2025 added two spots to the JMSC (now 12 total) and gave the governor a say in appointments to make it a bit less controlled by the legislature. Our Lawmakers made these changes seem like a very big deal, but, in actuality, they made little difference.
Our SC Lawmakers still retain the vast balance of power in Judicial Selection. They are not likely to relinquish that power easily.
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