Post-Conviction Relief
In South Carolina, a post-conviction relief (PCR) proceeding is a collateral attack on a criminal conviction. At this stage, the convicted person (referred to as an applicant) seeks to prove his or her conviction was the result of a constitutional violation, such as ineffective assistance of counsel or prosecutorial misconduct, or newly discovered evidence. An application for post-conviction relief must be filed with the clerk of court in the county of conviction to initiate a PCR action. If an applicant can present sufficient grounds to warrant an evidentiary hearing, the clerk of court will appoint a new attorney to represent the applicant and an evidentiary hearing will be held before a new circuit court judge. An assistant attorney general from the Attorney General’s Office will represent the State.
PCR Circuit Assignments (Updated 12/15/2020)
Current Rosters