Letter from the President
FROM THE PRESIDENTDear Fellow Members of the Bar: It is with great pleasure that we, the executive committee of the Bar, present you with our new and updated Newsletter. This is something that has been in the making for a couple of years and has finally come to fruition based primarily upon the efforts of Brian Duffy, of our executive committee, in conjunction with the Charleston School of Law. I am sure you have all noticed that we have also updated and improved our Bar association website. This task took several months to accomplish and is, in very large part, due to the hard work of Bar executive committee member, Bobby Bernstein. It is important that all Bar members review their personal data on the website directory to ensure accuracy. We also ask that each member provide an updated photo for the site. This is important because these photos and information will be used in our new printed Lawyers' Directory, which will hopefully be published by the end of the year. Recently, you received correspondence advising of new legislation implementing a new statewide circuit public defender system essentially comparable to our circuit solicitor system. I thank each of you for cooperating and participating in the selection process. The efficient and effective management and operation of our public defender office is crucial to preserve the integrity of our criminal justice system. The public defender office handles approximately eighty-five per cent of all general sessions cases in our county. To put this in perspective, this would be the equivalent of one law firm in Charleston providing representation in eighty-five per cent of all Charleston County common pleas cases. Undeniably, both the Bar and the community as a whole benefit immensely from the services of our public defender office. Choosing the selection panel, and thereafter their hiring of the chief public defender, is therefore extremely important. Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Judge Pieper for his recent elevation to the South Carolina Court of Appeals. This is a monumental accomplishment and one which is fully deserved. On the circuit court bench, Judge Pieper was the consummate jurist. He conducted his courtroom with proper decorum and his trials with efficiency and in a dignified fashion. He was prompt in commencing court, and moreover, was timely in his rulings. His treatment of lawyers and parties was always respectful. In trial, he neither sought to participate nor interject, directly or indirectly, his personal sentiments in an effort to affect the outcome of a case. He truly endeavored to function as an impartial referee with a genuine desire to assist in the administration of justice. We should all, lawyers and judges alike, as officers of the court, strive to emulate Judge Pieper's professionalism and exemplary temperament. Sincerely, Jerry N. Theos UPDATES FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT Many of us receive the bi-weekly e-blast from the South Carolina Bar, delivering to us the most up to date news and cases from the South Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. If you are only receiving state law updates, however, you are not receiving summaries of all developing case law which may affect your practice. Findlaw has a series of free daily and weekly updates on recent decisions which may govern your daily practice, including decisions from the United States Supreme Court and Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. You can subscribe to these free newsletters and updates by visiting Findlaw's website at http://newsletters.findlaw.com/nl/. There you will find a number of newsletters available to provide you with updates on recent decisions by these courts, as well as by topic and by practice. We encourage all members of the Charleston County Bar to stay up to date on these decisions. Pro Bono MomentsCourt SchedulesJury VerdictsFEDERAL COURT JURY VERDICTS(There are no Federal Court verdicts for this quarter) |
