. The General Assembly, which picks almost all state judges, is expected Wednesday to elevate Court of Appeals Judge Letitia Verdin to the high court. The white woman will take the seat of Chief Justice Don Beatty, who has reached the mandatory retirement age of 72. Beatty is Black. Verdin is the only candidate left after two others dropped out when they realized they couldn’t get enough votes in the 170-seat Legislature. One candidate was a Black woman and the other was a white man.
South Carolina is joining 18 other states with all-white high courts, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, which tracks diversity and other issues in court systems. Twelve of those states have minority populations of at least 20%, the organization reported. But Verdin's election will take South Carolina out of even more select company. The state Supreme Court was the only one in the country without a woman.
General Assembly leaders have expressed concerns about the lack of diversity, although they also have expressed unhappiness with rulings on abortion, the death penalty, low bonds and lighter sentences in recent years. Republican House Speaker Murrell Smith said this Supreme Court election will mean there are five “true, bona fide conservatives” on the court in a telephone town hall last month hosted by conservative advocacy group Americans For Prosperity.
Devine doesn't see one simple solution to making the courts more diverse. Some judges of color want to make more money in the private sector. The senator said some also find the election process demeaning. It includes a screening that probes deep into a candidate's background and finances, as well as having to wait around in a parking garage or just inside doorways to get a few minutes of time with legislators whose minds may already be made up. “The system needs changing.
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