South Carolina Federal Court Structure at a Glance
Court Locations in South Carolina — 28 U.S.C. § 121
The district structure of South Carolina is set by statute, quoted below from 28 U.S.C. § 121:
“The Charleston Division comprises the counties of Berkeley, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, Dorchester, and Georgetown.”
Court locations under the statute:
Court for the Charleston Division shall be held at Charleston.
Court for the Columbia Division shall be held at Columbia.
Court for the Florence Division shall be held at Florence.
Court for the Aiken Division shall be held at Aiken.
Court for the Orangeburg Division shall be held at Orangeburg.
Court for the Greenville Division shall be held at Greenville.
Court for the Rock Hill Division shall be held at Rock Hill.
Court for the Greenwood Division shall be held at Greenwood.
Court for the Anderson Division shall be held at Anderson.
Court for the Spartanburg Division shall be held at Spartanburg.
Court for the Beaufort Division shall be held at Beaufort.
Federal White-Collar Cases in South Carolina
Federal fraud offenses committed in South Carolina are prosecuted in the district where the offense occurred. Jurisdiction is statutory: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.” (18 U.S.C. § 3231).
Circuit assignment is statutory as well. 28 U.S.C. § 41 provides:
“Fourth Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia.”
The Fourth Circuit hears appeals from the district courts in South Carolina. The district courts listed above maintain public websites with local rules, judge information, and case-location details; the federal court finder at uscourts.gov also covers South Carolina.
The principal federal fraud statutes — mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), wire fraud (§ 1343), and bank fraud (§ 1344) — apply in every federal district. Bank fraud carries a statutory maximum of 30 years: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.” (18 U.S.C. § 1344).
This page is part of the White-Collar Case Law Research Desk reference library. Additional research notes are published as new court decisions are issued.
Primary sources
- 28 U.S.C. § 121 — South Carolina (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “The Charleston Division comprises the counties of Berkeley, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, Dorchester, and Georgetown.”
- 28 U.S.C. § 41 — Number and composition of circuits (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Fourth Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 3231 — District courts (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 1344 — Bank fraud (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.”
White-Collar Federal Defense Reference by State
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