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AG Wilson, group of SC solicitors, sheriffs, call for judicial reform

By WSOCTV.com News Staff

The current flag of South Carolina became official in 1861 and shows a white palmetto tree and crescent on a blue field. The flag, despite becoming official shortly after South Carolina became the first state to secede from the U.S. on Dec. 20, 1860, has nothing that links it to traditional symbols of the Confederacy. Historians are not sure what the crescent represents, but most people today think it is the moon. The cabbage palmetto is the state tree of South Carolina. During the Revolutionary War it is said British cannonballs merely bounced off forts made of the palm's tough, springy wood. 

By WSOCTV.com News Staff

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson along with 18 sheriffs and 10 solicitors called for judicial reform.

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Executive branch involvement in the selection process of judges is necessary, the group stated in a news release Monday.

“The judiciary affects everyone’s everyday life, particularly when it comes to public safety,” Wilson stated in the news release. “It doesn’t matter what your religion is, your race, your political ideology–everyone wants to feel safe. Giving the executive branch involvement and input in how we select our judges will help bring accountability, transparency, and confidence to our criminal justice system.”

Judges in the Palmetto State are selected through the Judicial Merit Selection Commission and voted on by the legislature.

Wilson and the bipartisan law enforcement coalition are advocating for reforming the JMSC and giving the executive branch meaningful representation in that process.

“We need immediate judicial reform in South Carolina,” said First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe. “I’ve heard great ideas from every corner of the state about judicial reform, and they are all better ideas, in my opinion, than what we have now.”

The push for judicial reform will continue for years, Wilson said.

VIDEO: Activists continue discussion on police reform

Activists continue discussion on police reform

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