Palmetto LEADER mobile law office will offer free wills and powers of attorney for qualifying residents
When the Supreme Court of South Carolina convenes a special term at Presbyterian College later this spring, the event will offer more than a rare chance to watch the state’s highest court in action. It will also bring free legal services to local residents and highlight the real-world issues that come before the court.
The Supreme Court will hold two days of oral arguments in Belk Auditorium on March 31 and April 1, hearing four cases and answering questions from students after each session. Proceedings will begin at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. each day, giving students, educators and community members an inside look at the appellate process and the role of the judiciary in South Carolina government.
In addition to the court sessions, a mobile legal clinic from the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law Pro Bono Program will provide free legal assistance to area residents.
Free legal clinic offered through Palmetto LEADER
The Palmetto LEADER mobile law office will be parked outside the Harrington-Peachtree Center on the Presbyterian College campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 31.
Volunteer attorneys and USC law students will provide free assistance with wills and powers of attorney to qualified residents. The mobile clinic is part of the law school’s effort to expand access to legal services in communities across South Carolina, particularly in areas where residents may have difficulty obtaining legal help.
The clinic’s presence during the Supreme Court’s visit underscores a broader theme of the event: bringing the law directly to the public while giving students an opportunity to see how the justice system works both in the courtroom and in the community.
Four cases scheduled during special session
Over the two-day visit, the justices will hear four cases covering a range of legal issues, from civil liability and self-defense laws to criminal appeals and post-conviction claims.
March 31 — Session I (10 a.m.)
The Court will hear Antoinet Moore, individually and as personal representative of the Estate of David J. Wilson v. Green’s Grocery, LLC and Mahmoud A. Yousef. The case centers on a fatal shooting at a convenience store and whether immunity granted to a store employee under South Carolina’s Protection of Persons and Property Act also shields the store owner and business from civil liability.
March 31 — Session II (11:30 a.m.)
In consolidated cases involving Quinterris Javon Carmichael and Tirik Jaquan Johnson-Epps, the Court will consider whether a trial judge committed reversible error by refusing to individually poll jurors after their guilty verdict in a murder case. The defendants argue that denying the request violated their legal rights and warrants a new trial.
April 1 — Session III (10 a.m.)
The Court will hear Bayan Aleksey v. State of South Carolina, a post-conviction relief case involving a man sentenced to death for the 1997 killing of a South Carolina Highway Patrol officer. Aleksey argues he should not face the death penalty because he is intellectually disabled, while the state maintains the lower court correctly rejected that claim.
April 1 — Session IV (11:30 a.m.)
In Maurice Roberts v. State of South Carolina, the Court will examine whether a defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to effective counsel was violated when his attorney failed to object to jury instructions regarding intent in an attempted murder charge. The case raises questions about whether trial counsel should have anticipated a later ruling clarifying that specific intent to kill is required under state law.
Rare opportunity for students
Following each oral argument, the justices will take questions from students attending the sessions, including students from Upstate public schools. The format allows students to learn about the judicial system directly from members of the state’s highest court and to gain insight into how appellate decisions are made.
The Supreme Court is composed of Chief Justice John W. Kittredge and four associate justices—John Cannon Few, George C. James Jr., D. Garrison Hill and Letitia H. Verdin.
One justice also has a connection to Presbyterian College: Justice Verdin’s father, Harry Hamilton, was a Presbyterian College student-athlete who played quarterback and pitcher from 1951 to 1955.
Open to the public
All sessions in Belk Auditorium are free and open to the public, offering the community a chance to witness appellate arguments and observe the judicial branch at work.
With the addition of the Palmetto LEADER mobile legal clinic available on March 31, the two-day visit will provide both an educational experience for students and a practical service for the community—demonstrating how the law functions not only in courtrooms but also in everyday life.
