Title 16, Crimes and Offenses

(A)(1) A person, including a dealer, who violates the provisions of this article, except Section 16-23-20, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than two thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. (2) A person violating the prov…

(A) Except as provided in subsection (F), it is unlawful for a person who has been convicted of a crime punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of more than one year to possess a firearm or ammunition within this State. (B) A person who violates the provisions of this sectio…

It is unlawful for a person to use, transport, manufacture, possess, distribute, sell, or buy any ammunition or shells that are coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (teflon). A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be i…

(A) It is unlawful for an alien unlawfully present in the United States to possess, purchase, offer to purchase, sell, lease, rent, barter, exchange, or transport into this State a firearm. (B) It is unlawful for a person to knowingly sell, offer to sell, deliver, lease, rent, ba…

(A) A handgun that is found and turned over to a law enforcement agency must be held for a period of ninety days. During that period, the agency shall make a diligent effort to determine: (1) if the handgun is stolen; (2) if the handgun has been used in the commission of a crime;…

Provisions of this article must not be construed to grant any additional police powers not authorized by law, and do not in any manner affect the powers of constables commissioned by the Governor.

For purposes of this article: (1) "Bacteriological weapon" and "biological weapon" mean devices which are designed in a manner as to permit the intentional release into the population or environment of microbiological or other biological materials, toxins, or agents, whatever the…

A person who, without lawful authority, possesses, uses, threatens, or attempts or conspires to possess or use a weapon of mass destruction in furtherance of an act of terrorism is guilty of a felony and upon conviction: (1) in cases resulting in the death of another person, must…

(A) It is unlawful for a person intentionally to use a destructive device or cause an explosion, or intentionally to aid, counsel, solicit another, or procure the use of a destructive device. A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction: (1) in…

A person who knowingly manufactures, possesses, transports, distributes, uses or aids, or counsels, solicits another, or conspires with another in the use of a hoax device or replica of a destructive device or detonator which causes any person reasonably to believe that the hoax …

A person who knowingly and wilfully hinders or obstructs an explosive ordnance technician, bomb technician, law enforcement officer, fire official, emergency management official, public safety officer, animal trained to detect destructive devices, or any robot or mechanical devic…

A person who conveys or causes to be conveyed false information, knowing the information to be false, concerning an attempt or alleged attempt being made or to be made to kill, injure, or intimidate any person or to damage or destroy any building or other real or personal propert…

(A) Unless otherwise ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction, photographs, electronic imaging, video tapes, or other identification or analysis of a destructive device, explosive, incendiary, poisonous gas, toxic substance, whether chemical, biological, or nuclear material, …

(A) All property used or intended for use in violation of this article and all proceeds derived from, realized from, or traced back to property used or intended for use in violation of this article is contraband and subject to forfeiture. Property subject to forfeiture must be se…

All state, county, and municipal law enforcement officers who encounter a known or suspected destructive device, biological or bacteriological weapon or a nuclear, biological, or chemical weapon of mass destruction in the course of their employment must immediately report the exi…

As used in this article, the term: (1) "Deadly weapon" means any pistol, dirk, slingshot, metal knuckles, razor, or other instrument which can be used to inflict deadly force. (2) "Great bodily injury" means bodily injury which causes a substantial risk of death or which causes s…

Magistrates, municipal court judges, family court judges, and circuit court judges shall receive continuing legal education on issues concerning domestic violence. The frequency and content of the continuing legal education is to be determined by the South Carolina Court Administ…

(A) In addition to the provisions of Section 17-15-30, the court must consider the factors provided in subsection (B) when considering release of a person on bond who is charged with a violent offense, as defined in Section 16-1-60, when the victim of the offense is a household m…

(A) For purposes of this section: (1) "Domestic violence shelter" means a facility whose purpose is to serve as a shelter to receive and house persons who are victims of criminal domestic violence and that provides services as a shelter. (2) "Grounds" means the real property of t…

(A) For the purposes of this section: (1) "Address" means the residential street address, school address, or work address of an individual, as specified on the application for a program participant under this section. (2) "Address confidentiality program" or "program" means the a…

(A) It is unlawful to: (1) cause physical harm or injury to a person's own household member; or (2) offer or attempt to cause physical harm or injury to a person's own household member with apparent present ability under circumstances reasonably creating fear of imminent peril. (…

(A) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 16-23-30, it is unlawful for a person to ship, transport, receive, or possess a firearm or ammunition, if the person: (1) has been convicted of a violation of Section 16-25-20(B) or 16-25-65, or has been convicted of domestic violence…

For purposes of this article: (1) "Committee" means the Domestic Violence Advisory Committee. (2) "Household member" means a household member as defined in Section 16-25-10. (3) "Meeting" means both in-person meetings and meetings through telephone conferencing. (4) "Provider of …

(A) There is created a multidisciplinary Domestic Violence Advisory Committee composed of: (1) the Attorney General of the State of South Carolina, or a designee, who serves ex officio; (2) the Director of the South Carolina Department of Social Services, or a designee, who serve…

(A) The purpose of the Domestic Violence Advisory Committee is to decrease the incidences of domestic violence by: (1) developing an understanding of the causes and incidences of domestic violence; (2) developing plans for and implementing changes within the agencies represented …

Upon request of the committee and as necessary to carry out the committee's purpose and duties, the committee immediately must be provided: (1) by a provider of medical care, access to information and records regarding a person whose death is being reviewed by the department purs…

When necessary in the discharge of the duties of the committee and upon application of the committee, the clerks of court shall issue a subpoena or subpoena duces tecum to any state, county, or local agency, board, or commission or to a representative of any state, county, or loc…

(A) Meetings of the committee are closed to the public and are not subject to Chapter 4, Title 30, the Freedom of Information Act, when the committee and department are discussing an individual case of domestic violence. (B) Except as provided in subsection (C), meetings of the c…

(A) All information and records acquired by the committee in the exercise of their purposes and duties pursuant to this article are confidential, exempt from disclosure under Chapter 4, Title 30, the Freedom of Information Act, and only may be disclosed as necessary to carry out …

The circuit solicitor shall facilitate the development of community domestic violence coordinating councils in each county or judicial circuit based upon public-private sector collaboration.

The purpose of a community domestic violence coordinating council is to: (1) increase the awareness and understanding of domestic violence and its consequences; (2) reduce the incidence of domestic violence in the county or area served; and (3) enhance and ensure the safety of ba…

The duties and responsibilities of a community domestic violence coordinating council include, but are not limited to: (1) promoting effective strategies of intervention for identifying the existence of domestic violence and for intervention by public and private agencies; (2) es…

Membership on a community domestic violence coordinating council may include, but is not limited to, representatives from magistrates court, family court, law enforcement, solicitor's office, probation and parole, batterer intervention programs or services, nonprofit battered ind…

Each community domestic violence coordinating council is responsible for generating revenue for its operation and administration.

(A) A person who violates Section 16-25-20(A) is guilty of the offense of domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature when one of the following occurs. The person: (1) commits the offense under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life and gr…

(A) A law enforcement officer may arrest, with or without a warrant, a person at the person's place of residence or elsewhere if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person is committing or has freshly committed a misdemeanor or felony pursuant to the provisions of …

This article may be cited as the "Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committees".

(A) Each Circuit Solicitor shall establish an interagency circuit-wide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee to assist local agencies in identifying and reviewing domestic violence deaths, including homicides and suicides, and facilitating communication among the various ag…

Meetings of the committee are closed to the public and are not subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act when the committee is discussing an individual case. A violation of this section is a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, a person must be fined not more than …

(A) All information and records acquired by the committee in the exercise of their purposes and duties pursuant to this article are confidential, exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, and only may be disclosed as necessary to carry out the committee's dutie…

Each domestic fatality review committee shall make recommendations, when appropriate to, but not limited to, the Domestic Violence Advisory Committee created pursuant to Section 16-25-310 regarding: (1) training, including cross-agency training, consultation, technical assistance…

Nothing in this article affects or limits the powers of any court to enforce its own orders by civil or criminal contempt or the powers of the police to make other lawful arrests. Nothing in this article may be construed to repeal, replace, or preclude application of any other pr…

Notwithstanding any provision of Chapters 13 and 21 of Title 24, and notwithstanding any other provision of law, an inmate who was convicted of, or pled guilty or nolo contendere to, an offense against a household member is eligible for parole after serving one-fourth of his pris…

This chapter is known and may be cited as "The Animal Fighting and Baiting Act".

As used in this chapter: (a) "Animal" means any live vertebrate creature, domestic or wild. (b) "Fighting" means an attack with violence by an animal against another animal or a human. (c) "Baiting" means to provoke or to harass an animal with one or more animals with the purpose…

Any person who: (a) owns an animal for the purpose of fighting or baiting; (b) is a party to or causes any fighting or baiting of any animal; (c) purchases, rents, leases, or otherwise acquires or obtains the use of any structure, facility, or location for the purpose of fighting…