AIKEN, S.C. — Aiken’s push for a homeless court now moves to the state level, with a key review set for early December. City Council voted unanimously this week to ask the S.C. Supreme Court for an order creating the court, and only the chief justice can approve it.
Nick McCarley, a deputy public defender for the 2nd Judicial Circuit, will present the request on Dec. 3 before the S.C. Access to Justice Commission. That panel of judges, attorneys and statewide leaders will then send its recommendation to the chief justice, and a decision is expected in early December.
The court would be voluntary and would serve only the city of Aiken. It would handle minor charges that carry 30 days or less, such as trespassing, and it might not meet in a traditional courtroom at all. If approved, it could begin meeting once a month in 2027.
The yearly price tag is put at $50,000 to $60,000. City officials say residents would not pay anything extra to start it, since about $30,000 is already set aside in the amended budget from a surplus left over from the last fiscal year.
City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh told council the plan has support from the municipal court judge, the city solicitor and the head of Aiken Public Safety. Gaffney, Rock Hill, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Greenville and Columbia already run state-approved homeless courts.
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