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A South Carolina judge has ordered court officials to cast a wider net for jurors in the Palmetto State’s most populous county after a mass dereliction of civic duty led to the cancellation of a high-profile murder trial earlier this week.
As we reported on Monday (January 13, 2025), prosecutors in Greenville County, South Carolina were unable to try accused killer Zachary Hughes in connection with the graphic, ritualistic ‘Rose Petal Murder’ of 41-year-old veterinary technician Christina Parcell.
Hughes’ murder trial was one of many cases which had to be postponed because only 59 of the 161 jurors summoned by the court bothered to show up. New Greenville County clerk of court Jay Gresham referred to the chronic juror shortages as causing “disruptions, wasted taxpayer resources, and additional strain on a judicial circuit still working to address the case backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Gresham vowed “immediate action” to address the shortage.

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On Wednesday (January 15, 2025), S.C. circuit court judge G.D. Morgan Jr. published an order indicating he “had been notified that an additional number of jurors are needed” for the next term of court, set to begin on February 10, 2025.
Per Morgan’s order (.pdf), Greenville County’s jury coordinator was ordered to “draw an additional 100 names” for the regular court term beginning on that date.
Gresham issued a news release accompanying Morgan’s order outlining additional steps to address the crisis, which he was careful to point out “predate(s) his administration.”
“You can’t build a house without a solid foundation, and jurors are just that for our justice system,” Gresham said. “When jurors don’t show, justice comes to a screeching halt, and that’s not acceptable.”
Per Gresham’s release (.pdf), the new summonses were “mailed in official envelopes bearing the Greenville County seal and (his) name to demonstrate their authenticity and protect citizens from potential scams.”
Gresham also announced the launch of a “public awareness campaign” in collaboration with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) “emphasizing the importance of jury duty and educating citizens on how to avoid scams.”
Stay tuned to FITSNews for the latest developments with respect to both the ‘Rose Petal Murder’ and the chronic jury shortages which led to the delay of this week’s trial…
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THE RELEASE…
(Greenville County Clerk of Court)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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5 comments
Once again, if they really mean it about jurors and their importance, the per-diem should be raised to a minimum of $100, including showing up to be selected or dismissed, to offset the inconvenience and expense of going to court, being herded through the metal detectors like cattle, and other privations that selection for jury duty impose upon the selected citizens.
Rather than only selecting and re-selecting the same people, over and over again, from the disk or thumb drives provided by SCAG’s office, why not establish a list of volunteers who actually want to do jury duty? With a viable per-diem as I suggest, there should be no shortage of volunteers from the ranks of bored housewives, retirees, unemployed persons, etc. Additionally, make these per-diems totally not subject to state income taxes or impact in any negative way, Social Security, unemployment, or welfare, benefits.
Oh, and those who would suggest that I am a bad citizen for not chomping at the bit to be a juror; stuff it where the sun doesn’t shine……SIDEWAYS! Some of us feel we did our time in courtrooms via occupational necessity for decades. If we never see the inside of another courtroom ever again, it will be too soon. We worked jobs, we pay taxes (lots and lots of f-cking taxes), and just want to be left tf alone.
Everyone pays taxes and works, show up for jury duty! Start arresting people that don’t show up like this guy
It really is that easy.
Arrest people for what? Having valid excuses for not participating in the local GovCo’s little shit show? For dodging their repeated attempts to force involuntary servitude upon me and others?
Had I been forced to go, and being that I am hard of hearing and that the masks make it more difficult for me to read lips, and impossible for me to read lips, I would have sided with the party least able to take a hit in the civil trial. Had it been a criminal trial, whether for disorderly conduct, an axe murderer, or a DUI, I would have found the defendant “Not Guilty”, even if the evidence indicated they are. That would have likely resulted in a mis-trial. Our system needs to evolve beyond relying on involuntary servitude to accomplish its goals, just as our military has evolved beyond a draft to fight wars for rich people and politicians, that have absolutely nothing to do with the security of our country.
“…and the masks make it more difficult for me to hear someone, and impossible for me to read lips…”