Title: South Carolina Federal Trials | Federal Criminal Law Center
Headings: South Carolina Federal Trials
South Carolina Federal Trials
South Carolina Federal District Courts
How Federal Trials Work in South Carolina
Our Experience In South Carolina Federal Courts
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The Law Firm of Shein & Brandenburg

Content: While the state was previously subdivided into East and West federal districts, since 1965 South Carolina has been consolidated into a single district, with federal courthouses located in the cities of Charleston, Florence, Columbia, Anderson, Aiken, Spartanburg, Greenville and Beaufort. A total of eighteen federal judges preside over cases in the District of South Carolina; these judges are appointed to lifetime terms by the President of the United States, and are confirmed by Congress. District Court decisions are appealed to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, located in Richmond, Virginia. How Federal Trials Work in South Carolina
As with all federal cases, South Carolina federal trials begin with formal charges brought against the defendant by the U.S Attorney’s office. For most felony charges, such as embezzlement, tax fraud or drug conspiracy, charges can only be brought by a grand jury indictment. If you are indicted for a federal crime, a warrant will be issued for your arrest, after which you will appear in court for a formal arraignment to enter a plea to the charge (s) against you. One of the most critical stages for most federal cases is the time between the arraignment and the trial, or the pre-trial stage. This is when your defense attorney receives the documentation from the prosecution upon which they have based the charges against you (known as “discovery”) so he/she can prepare a solid defense. A skilled federal defense attorney will be able to employ numerous strategies during this stage, ranging from pre-trial motions for dismissal to negotiating for mitigated charges.