Key v. Currie

Decision Date08 July 1991
Citation406 S.E.2d 356,305 S.C. 115
CourtSouth Carolina Supreme Court
PartiesJoseph A. KEY, Plaintiff, v. Robert E. CURRIE, Warden, A.C.I., Parker Evatt, Commissioner, S.C.D.C., Defendants.
ORDER

Plaintiff seeks to have this Court grant a writ of mandamus to compel the defendants to credit him with time served prior to his criminal trial. We refuse to entertain this matter in our original jurisdiction.

In recent months, the number of petitions seeking to have this Court exercise its original jurisdiction has increased dramatically. We take this opportunity to emphasize the limitations we have placed on our original jurisdiction.

Although Article V, § 5, of the South Carolina Constitution vests this Court with the authority to issue extraordinary writs and entertain actions in its original jurisdiction, this Court's primary function is to act as an appellate court to review appeals from the trial courts. In Rule 229, SCACR, this Court has indicated it will not entertain matters in its original jurisdiction where the matter can be entertained in the trial courts of this State. Only when there is an extraordinary reason such as a question of significant public interest or an emergency will this Court exercise its original jurisdiction.

In the present matter, there is no extraordinary reason to exercise the Court's original jurisdiction. Accordingly, this matter is dismissed.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

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32 cases
  • Wilson v. Moore
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — District of South Carolina
    • March 27, 1998
    ...habeas writs through its original jurisdiction, the South Carolina Supreme Court often details its reasoning. See, e.g. Key v. Currie, 305 S.C. 115, 406 S.E.2d 356 (1991) (denying writ petition because no "extraordinary reason" existed); Butler v. State, 302 S.C. 466, 397 S.E.2d 87 (1990) (......
  • Alkebulanyahh v. Byars
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — District of South Carolina
    • May 18, 2015
    ...trial courts. Rule 245 SCACR (renumbered from Rule 229 effective April 29, 2009); Simpson v. State, 329 S.C. 43 (1998); Key v. Currie, 305 S.C. 115, 116 (1991). Thus, as this Court has found, a state habeas petition filed in the South Carolina Supreme Court's original jurisdiction that does......
  • Wilson v. Moore
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Fourth Circuit
    • May 25, 1999
    ...as a question of significant public interest or an emergency will this Court exercise its original jurisdiction. Key v. Currie, 305 S.C. 115, 406 S.E.2d 356, 357 (1991); see also Rule 229(a), SCACR ("The Supreme Court will not entertain matters in its original jurisdiction when the matter c......
  • S.C. Pub. Interest Found. v. Lucas
    • United States
    • South Carolina Supreme Court
    • May 18, 2016
    ...a question of sufficient public interest to justify this Court hearing it in our original jurisdiction. See Key v. Currie, 305 S.C. 115, 116, 406 S.E.2d 356, 357 (1991) (“Only when there is an extraordinary reason such as a question of significant public interest or an emergency will this C......
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