Miscellaneous

Family Day

By Anne Skove, Esq.

Being on vacation with family is a good opportunity to consider the family courts here in South Carolina. (Not that we are considering dissolution!)

As mentioned earlier, South Carolina has a uniform, statewide family court. How unusual is this? If you're in a state like this, you'd be surprised. (Virginia, for example, was all set to have a family court -- successful pilot projects, willing judges -- until the General Assembly decided not to pay for it.)

The South Carolina Volunteer Guardian ad Litem Program aims "to provide a volunteer advocate for every child who is the subject of an abuse and neglect proceeding in South Carolina." Private GALs are appointed in some cases; the volunteer program's Web site has some harsh words warning against them.

A topic of interest to at least some South Carolinians is how to help children with parent(s) in prison. One suggestion made to a recent gathering of a local chapter of the League of Women Voters is "middle court," in which non-violent, first- (and a few second-) time offenders perform public service, restitution, and remain under a judge's supervision as an alternative to incarceration. See Incarceration Impacts Families Left Behind, Anna Simon, GreenvilleOnline.com (March 26, 2008). See also Programs Help Anderson-area Children Whose Parents Are Behind Bars, Crystal Boyles, Independent Mail (February 9, 2008), and the Clemson Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life.

And I certainly hope none of us finds a foot-long (or any size, really) rattle (or any type) snake in our bags upon our return. See Virginia Man Bitten by Snake That Slithered into Bag During S.C. Visit, Joey Holleman, The State (March 26, 2008).

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on March 26, 2008 (boomark / email).