S.C. Chief Justice Jean Toal has privately told numerous confidantes she will step down when her current term expires in 2014. Assuming the former liberal activist makes good on those assurances, it would mean the abandonment of an alleged quid pro quo aimed at extending her tenure at the helm of the Palmetto State’s highest court.
Such a decision would have far-reaching implications – extending far beyond the composition of the court.
In South Carolina all judges – including Supreme Court justices – are elected by the S.C. General Assembly. In fact a legislatively controlled commission selects the slate of candidates – effectively giving one branch of government total control over the other. Not surprisingly this process – like everything else in state government – is infinitely corrupt.
Judges should be appointed by the state’s chief executive – period. And they should be allowed to serve as long as they want … barring some demonstrated incapacitation. Otherwise we end up with an endless cycle of favor-trading …
While there is currently no mandatory retirement age for judges, those who stay on the bench past the age of seventy-two forfeit their right to participate in the state’s retirement system. Toal is 69 years old – meaning under the current system she would have to give up her seat at the end of 2015. However legislation being pushed by one of her longtime allies – S.C. Sen. Gerald Malloy (D-Hartsville) – would remove this age limit.
According to our sources, Malloy’s bill is (or rather was) part of a deal aimed at getting Toal to sit on a hugely controversial lawsuit involving exemptions to the state’s sales tax code. Currently South Carolina exempts around $2.7 billion in sales tax revenue annually – compared to the $2.2 billion it collects. Some of these exemptions benefit all South Carolinians (and promote our state’s competitiveness) however many are narrowly tailored to specific special interests and work against our state’s economic well-being.
Oh … and one goes to purchase the loyalty of the legacy press.
Toal has previously opposed such exemptions – but she never had a majority of the Supreme Court on her side. Now that she does, lawmakers were fearful she would rule all of these exemptions out of order, throwing the state’s tax code into disarray.
But do Toal supporters have the juice they once did in the legislature? No. In fact just last week the chief justice was dealt a humiliating defeat by lawmakers – who narrowly rejected her hand-picked selection for an at-large family court seat. In fact this defeat may have been the proverbial “writing on the wall” for the longtime liberal.
Who would replace Toal? Among the leading contenders is S.C. Lt. Gov. Glenn McConnell – a Charleston attorney who spent nearly a dozen years as president of the State Senate from 2001-2012.
“McConnell wants to end his career as chief justice,” one source told us.
Will he get that chance? We may find out sooner rather than later …
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32 comments
No matter the reason, it will be good tho have this drunken bumb gone from such an important position. She has long over stayed her welcome.
No matter the reason, it will be good tho have this drunken bumb gone from such an important position. She has long over stayed her welcome.
If we could provide even more measures, enforce those we have, we could rest easy knowing every vote that could be cast, was. Lt Gov Courson? I would like to see that materialize. Glenn? Not without Knotts, he won’t.
If we could provide even more measures, enforce those we have, we could rest easy knowing every vote that could be cast, was. Lt Gov Courson? I would like to see that materialize. Glenn? Not without Knotts, he won’t.
So, having judges selected by the legislature is “giving one branch of government total control over the other”, but having them appointed by the OTHER branch, the executive, is totally cool. Got it.
So, having judges selected by the legislature is “giving one branch of government total control over the other”, but having them appointed by the OTHER branch, the executive, is totally cool. Got it.
Spent so much time thinking about Queen Toad falling off the Golden Lily Pad didn’t give much thought to the gators left in the pond trolling for a meal
I’m sure there are a lot of bottom feeders in the pond that are qualified to be Chief Toad but the thought of General Corporal Glenn Francis Beauregard McConnell wielding the Sword of Justice should scare the living shit out of most Legislators even the walking dead ones like Leatherpecker and Courson.
Spent so much time thinking about Queen Toad falling off the Golden Lily Pad didn’t give much thought to the gators left in the pond trolling for a meal
I’m sure there are a lot of bottom feeders in the pond that are qualified to be Chief Toad but the thought of General Corporal Glenn Francis Beauregard McConnell wielding the Sword of Justice should scare the living shit out of most Legislators even the walking dead ones like Leatherpecker and Courson.
Toal was livid last week over the Roslyn Frierson fiasco. She faked her way through her speech at The Judiciary’s reception for the legislature last Tuesday – which got ZERO press – where she went on and on with her legendary hyperbole about how great the legislators are. Behind the scenes, she completely blamed Joel Lourie for Frierson’s loss. He “did not show up” for the vote. His daughter had emergency surgery that morning, but to Jean, that was no excuse. “His father would have been here for me,” was a comment to one group and to no one in particular. “His one vote would have gotten us over the hump on the first vote.” Lourie has meekly said – as he has for years – he would never do anything against Toal’s wishes because of his father’s relationship with Toal. He did not mention he got Toal to get Liz Crum to get his brother in law in the RC election office.
Toal was livid last week over the Roslyn Frierson fiasco. She faked her way through her speech at The Judiciary’s reception for the legislature last Tuesday – which got ZERO press – where she went on and on with her legendary hyperbole about how great the legislators are. Behind the scenes, she completely blamed Joel Lourie for Frierson’s loss. He “did not show up” for the vote. His daughter had emergency surgery that morning, but to Jean, that was no excuse. “His father would have been here for me,” was a comment to one group and to no one in particular. “His one vote would have gotten us over the hump on the first vote.” Lourie has meekly said – as he has for years – he would never do anything against Toal’s wishes because of his father’s relationship with Toal. He did not mention he got Toal to get Liz Crum to get his brother in law in the RC election office.
McConnell has repeatedly said that the SC Chief Justice position is the most powerful political position in South Carolina. He really wants it. Others up here say he will be a shoo in to get elected if he wants it.
A shoo in because the House members adore him so much? He’s meaningless. They owe him nothing. Why would they put that flamer in a position of authority? They wouldn’t.
I agree.Further,there has been a longstanding tradition that when a Chief Justice retires,the next senior Justice gets the position.Its been that way for over fifty years.Dont see a bunch of House members falling all over themselves to break that tradition for McConnell who most of them dont even know ,and the ones that do likely have grievances against him from when he was master of the Senate.
Not to mention that McConnell prides himself on his dedication to tradition.
https://www.fitsnews.com/2010/09/15/mcconnell-responds-to-slavery-pics/
McConnell has repeatedly said that the SC Chief Justice position is the most powerful political position in South Carolina. He really wants it. Others up here say he will be a shoo in to get elected if he wants it.
A shoo in because the House members adore him so much? He’s meaningless. They owe him nothing. Why would they put that flamer in a position of authority? They wouldn’t.
I agree.Further,there has been a longstanding tradition that when a Chief Justice retires,the next senior Justice gets the position.Its been that way for over fifty years.Dont see a bunch of House members falling all over themselves to break that tradition for McConnell who most of them dont even know ,and the ones that do likely have grievances against him from when he was master of the Senate.
Not to mention that McConnell prides himself on his dedication to tradition.
https://www.fitsnews.com/2010/09/15/mcconnell-responds-to-slavery-pics/
Why is the chief justice chose from a pool of people with no Supreme Court experience? Wouldn’t choosing one of the seated judges as Chief and then filling the vacancy with a new person be the smart way to run this? Look at who I’m talking to, SC can screw up everything it touches.
The US supreme court is no different.
The Chief Justice should be elected by the other members of the Court annually. Neither the Legislature nor the Governor should have any imput as to who is Chief Justice.
Why is the chief justice chose from a pool of people with no Supreme Court experience? Wouldn’t choosing one of the seated judges as Chief and then filling the vacancy with a new person be the smart way to run this? Look at who I’m talking to, SC can screw up everything it touches.
The US supreme court is no different.
The Chief Justice should be elected by the other members of the Court annually. Neither the Legislature nor the Governor should have any imput as to who is Chief Justice.
“In South Carolina all judges – including Supreme Court justices – are elected by the S.C. General Assembly.”
Except Magistrates and Probate Judges…
“In South Carolina all judges – including Supreme Court justices – are elected by the S.C. General Assembly.”
Except Magistrates and Probate Judges…
W T F? Why did FITS go to a moderated format like Disqus???????? What happened to the freedom of expression we formerly enjoyed on the old board?????
Getting back to the point, without a finger, a finger puppet is useless. Jake (the finger) is gone, so now Jean will go. Before November of 2012, if Jake flexed his trigger finger, Jean took a bow.
W T F? Why did FITS go to a moderated format like Disqus???????? What happened to the freedom of expression we formerly enjoyed on the old board?????
Getting back to the point, without a finger, a finger puppet is useless. Jake (the finger) is gone, so now Jean will go. Before November of 2012, if Jake flexed his trigger finger, Jean took a bow.
Thank you legislature. If you don’t extend her time, then we’ve got to put up with her down here in Charleston when Alex Sanders pays her back and hires her to “teach” at the CSOL. Can’t wait to have her driving back and forth to her IOP beach house.
Thank you legislature. If you don’t extend her time, then we’ve got to put up with her down here in Charleston when Alex Sanders pays her back and hires her to “teach” at the CSOL. Can’t wait to have her driving back and forth to her IOP beach house.
Haley did the right thing and Flushed Darla Moore…We need to make sure Toal is replaced w/ a Staunch Right Winger..and maybe we can really make some progress…
The Law-makers are GOP, and Haley governs to the right to some degree (and she should be ousted in 2014 for a Conservative)..
States that go RIGHT are thriving…the Leftwing States are CHOKING…
Haley did the right thing and Flushed Darla Moore…We need to make sure Toal is replaced w/ a Staunch Right Winger..and maybe we can really make some progress…
The Law-makers are GOP, and Haley governs to the right to some degree (and she should be ousted in 2014 for a Conservative)..
States that go RIGHT are thriving…the Leftwing States are CHOKING…