Two levels of court split the work here.

• Summary courts. These are the county magistrates and each city's municipal court. Their trial power reaches offenses punishable by no more than $500, 30 days, or both (S.C. Code 22-3-550 and 14-25-65). Shoplifting of $2,000 or less can be tried there too, with a fine as high as $1,000 (S.C. Code 16-13-110). A magistrate jury seats six people (S.C. Code 22-3-545). These courts also handle bond settings and probable-cause hearings.
• The Court of General Sessions. General Sessions belongs to the circuit court and hears its criminal cases. It takes every felony, plus misdemeanors too serious for a summary court. Cases are tried where the offense occurred.

This county sits in the 13th Judicial Circuit, which it shares with Greenville County (S.C. Code 14-5-610). Both counties are served by one Circuit Solicitor and one circuit public defender. Questions on felony files go to the General Sessions office, 222 McDaniel Avenue, Pickens, SC 29671 (office B-2), 864-898-5651.

County courts here are split between the county seat and the town of Liberty. Clerk offices keep regular business hours on weekdays.

• General Sessions office, Clerk of Court: 222 McDaniel Avenue, Pickens, SC 29671 (office B-2), 864-898-5651. Mail goes to Attn: General Sessions, P.O. Box 215, Pickens, SC 29671. Email: gensessions@pickenscountysc.gov.
• Clerk of Court and Family Court: 214 East Main Street, Pickens, SC 29671 (office A100), 864-898-5598.
• Central Magistrate Court: William A. McWhorter building, 310 W. Main Street, Liberty, SC 29657, 864-898-5551. Open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All of the county's magistrates work from this one building. It handles minor crimes, preliminary hearings and cases sent down from General Sessions. The centralized traffic court is in the same building.

The arrest file and bond paperwork start at the Detention Center, 701 S. Catherine Street, Pickens, SC 29671, 864-898-2940.

Yes. Charges written by town police usually stay in that town's court. Each one below lists its own contact details.

• Easley Municipal Court: 220 North West Main Street, Easley, SC 29640, 864-855-7915. Office hours run 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Bond court sits at 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. every day, weekends included, and it also hears people held on an Easley bench warrant. Someone found guilty without showing up has 15 days to contact the court, or a bench warrant may follow. Bench-warrant payments go through the court office, not the web.
• City of Pickens Municipal Court: office at 219 Pendleton Street, Pickens, SC 29671, 864-898-8162, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Trials take place at 133 Railroad Street, Pickens, SC 29671, on the first and second Thursdays of each month. Its bond hearings happen at the Detention Center at 11:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily.
• Central Municipal Court: 1067 West Main Street, Central, SC 29630, 864-639-6381, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Jury trials, pretrial hearings and preliminary hearings are set by written notice. Bond hearings take place at the Detention Center at 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday.
• Clemson University Municipal Court: Gentry Hall, 191 Old Greenville Highway, Clemson, SC 29634, 864-656-5258. It takes cases from the campus police.
• City of Clemson Municipal Court: 1250 Tiger Boulevard, Suite 3, Clemson, SC 29631, 864-653-2045. It hears misdemeanor traffic, criminal and city code cases inside city limits. Bench trials run on Wednesdays, holidays aside. See its court page.
• Liberty Municipal Court: handled through City Hall, 119 West Front Street, Liberty, SC 29657, 864-843-3177.

For a ticket from Norris or Six Mile, ask the Central Magistrate Court, 310 W. Main Street, Liberty, SC 29657, 864-898-5551.

No more than 24 hours may pass between arrest and the bond hearing (S.C. Code 22-5-510). For county charges, the Sheriff's Office says magistrates hold bond sessions at 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., every day of the year. Charges from Easley, Central or the city of Pickens go to that city's judge at the times the city sets.

Here is what to expect at that short hearing:

• The judge names each charge and decides on bond and any rules for release.
• Arresting officers owe the bond judge a criminal history, other open cases and every bond the person is already on (S.C. Code 22-5-510(E)).
• A victim has the right to come and speak, and the judge must hold off if notice to the victim came too late.
• The person can ask how to apply for a public defender.

Felony charges allow the defense to demand a preliminary hearing. The defense has a 10-day window after the bond hearing to make the demand (Rule 2(a), SCRCrimP). Call the Central Magistrate Court at 864-898-5551 with questions about that hearing.

Most small cases begin and end in a magistrate or city courtroom. After bond, the court sets a pretrial conference, then a trial before the judge alone or a six-person jury. The Central Magistrate Court looks up these dates by case number or name at 864-898-5551.

Two misdemeanors that show up often:

• Simple assault (third-degree assault and battery): the judge may impose a $500 fine, 30 days in jail, or both (S.C. Code 16-3-600(E)(2)).
• Shoplifting worth $2,000 or less: up to $1,000, up to 30 days, or both. Higher amounts turn into felonies (S.C. Code 16-13-110).

Bigger misdemeanors move up to General Sessions. Under S.C. Code 16-1-20, the longest misdemeanor sentence is three years (Class A), with two years for B and a single year for C. Young people from 17 to under 21 with no earlier alcohol charges can apply to the Alcohol Education Program. Its $250 charge can be waived (S.C. Code 17-22-520 and 17-22-550). Certain low-level driving charges are eligible for the Traffic Education Program. The Solicitor decides who gets in.

A felony moves from the local magistrate up to the circuit court. Expect roughly these stages:

1. Bond hearing. Held within 24 hours, most often by a magistrate.
2. Preliminary hearing. On a timely request, a magistrate weighs whether the proof is strong enough to move forward.
3. General Sessions. The 13th Circuit Solicitor sets the court dates and mails a notice to the defendant. Check the Second Appearance and Trial rosters as well.
4. Plea or trial, then sentence. The judge sentences anyone who pleads guilty or is found guilty.

The class sets the longest term (S.C. Code 16-1-20). Class A carries as much as 30 years. Each lower class drops the cap by five years, down to 5 years for Class F. People charged with a first, nonviolent offense can ask the Solicitor about Pretrial Intervention. Finish the program and the Solicitor drops the charge; after that, an expungement of the record can be requested (S.C. Code 17-22-150). Fees are $100 to apply and $250 to take part, no more than $350 in all, and can be waived for people with little money (S.C. Code 17-22-110). The local program office is at 208 Garvin Street, Suite B, Pickens, SC 29671, 864-467-8425. Roster questions go to 864-898-5651.

State law keeps a fixed list of violent crimes (S.C. Code 16-1-60). It covers killings such as murder and voluntary manslaughter, and attempts to kill. Burglary and arson in the top two degrees count too, as do armed robbery, carjacking and kidnapping. Sex crimes in the first or second degree, human trafficking and some drug trafficking are on it too. In 2026 the list grew to include shooting into a home or other building (2026 Act No. 138).

Being on that list brings four big changes:

• Bond. A magistrate may say no to bond. On murder, or any capital or life-sentence charge, only a circuit judge rules.
• Repeat arrests. Picture someone already released on a violent or gun felony bond who is then charged with another one. The first bond ends at once by law. A circuit judge then hears the matter within 30 days (S.C. Code 17-15-55(C)). A violent crime committed while on that kind of bond is also a fresh felony with a five-year ceiling (S.C. Code 17-15-270).
• Diversion. Violent charges rule out Pretrial Intervention (S.C. Code 17-22-50).
• Penalty. For murder, the range runs from 30 years to life, or death (S.C. Code 16-3-20(A)).

The 13th Circuit Solicitor's Office prosecutes General Sessions cases for both Greenville and Pickens counties. The Solicitor's local office sits at 214 East Main Street, Pickens, SC 29671, 864-898-5905. More about the office is on the 13th Circuit Solicitor's website. Pretrial Intervention runs from 208 Garvin Street, Suite B, Pickens, SC 29671, 864-467-8425.

For the defense, every judicial circuit has a circuit public defender (S.C. Code 17-3-510). Here is how to apply locally:

• Visit the Clerk of Court, 222 McDaniel Avenue, Pickens, SC 29671, on a Tuesday or Thursday, 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. or 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
• Bring photo ID, proof of household income or public aid, and your tickets or warrants.
• Pay the $40 application fee unless the clerk reduces or excuses it (S.C. Code 17-3-30).
• Someone held at the Detention Center can request the form from jail staff.

Screening questions go to 864-898-5560. After approval, the public defender's number is 864-467-8025. The state oversight office is the South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense, 1330 Lady Street, Suite 401, Columbia, SC 29201, 803-734-1343.

Start with the county's Public Index on the South Carolina Judicial Branch website. It lists cases filed in the county courts. It won't say where a person is jailed, so use the jail lookup for that.

• General Sessions dates: the Solicitor mails a notice. You can also scan the court rosters or call 864-898-5651.
• Magistrate dates: call the Central Magistrate Court at 864-898-5551 with a case number or the person's name.
• City court dates: call the town court that wrote the ticket, such as Easley at 864-855-7915.

The Clerk of Court's advice is simple: be in court on the date written on the bond card. Missing it leads to a bench warrant.

Deputies working for the Sheriff serve warrants anywhere in the county; each town's police serve those inside town limits. Phone the Sheriff's Office, 216 C David Stone Road, Pickens, SC 29671, at 864-898-5500 to ask if one is active. The Public Index shows filed court cases. For wanted lists, check the Most Wanted Offenders page run by the state probation agency (tips 888-761-6175) and the 15 Most Wanted fugitive page from the Marshals Service. A defense lawyer should be your first call before settling a warrant. Then the person surrenders at the issuing court, or asks that court for a fresh date. For felony warrants, reach the Clerk of Court at 222 McDaniel Avenue, Pickens, SC 29671, 864-898-5651.

The U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina hears federal crimes. This county is part of its Anderson Division, which sits in the G. Ross Anderson, Jr. Federal Building, 315 South McDuffie Street, Anderson, SC 29624. Anderson has no clerk's office of its own. Questions go to the Greenville clerk at 250 East North Street, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-241-2700, open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• The first federal court appearance includes the detention hearing (18 U.S.C. 3142). Delays have limits. Postponements stay brief, with a five-day limit when the defense asks and three days when prosecutors do.
• The U.S. Marshals keep custody until a federal trial. The office for this region is at 300 East Washington Street, Room 232, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-232-1566.
• After sentencing, track the person with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Not the verdict. A detainer matters at release time. In order:

1. Form I-247A, the detainer, reaches the Detention Center from ICE.
2. With it, the jail may keep the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. ICE agents collect the person in that window and choose the next location.
4. Track the person on the ICE Online Detainee Locator.

Under state law, a jail holding someone on a criminal charge must try within 72 hours to confirm the person's lawful status in the country. Anyone lacking lawful status gets flagged to federal immigration officials (S.C. Code 23-3-1100). Bond judges must factor that status in alongside flight risk (S.C. Code 22-5-510(D)(4)). South Carolina's ICE office is at 3950 Faber Place Drive, North Charleston, SC 29405, 843-746-9800. Tell the defense lawyer about any hold as soon as you learn of it.

It turns on sentence length. A sentence no longer than 90 days is usually spent in the county's own facility (S.C. Code 24-3-30). For more than three months, the South Carolina Department of Corrections takes charge and assigns the location, which can now and then be a local jail by agreement (S.C. Code 24-3-20).

• Each new state inmate starts with a reception and evaluation stage. Families should expect no in-person visits then unless that stage runs over 30 days.
• Look up state inmates on the SCDC inmate search. It covers state custody only and is updated through the previous midnight.
• Department of Corrections headquarters: 4444 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210, 803-896-8500.
• Browse the facilities in our guide to South Carolina state prisons.

Family Court, 214 East Main Street, Pickens, SC 29671, 864-898-5598, is where most cases against people under 18 begin. Age 17 is different for the most serious charges: the charge goes to adult court when the felony is classed anywhere from A down to D, or its maximum reaches 15 years (S.C. Code 63-19-20(1)).

• An adult lockup may hold a child six hours, no longer. Children ten and under can't be put in one at all (S.C. Code 63-19-820).
• If the teen stays in custody, the detention hearing must come within 48 hours. Time over a weekend or holiday doesn't run against that limit (S.C. Code 63-19-830).
• Upstate youth waiting for that hearing go to Greenville Youth Services, run by Greenville County for the 13th Circuit. See our Greenville juvenile center page.
• Teens 14 to 16 charged with grave felonies can be waived up to adult court. A judge orders a full study first. Then a waiver hearing is held (S.C. Code 63-19-1210).

DJJ's local office is at 208 Garvin Street, Suite A, Pickens, SC 29671, 864-878-7560. Call it for the hearing time and the center's address.

South Carolina's constitution spells out victims' rights. Notice of any bond hearing goes to them, and they can be heard there. Word of an arrest, release or escape must reach them too, and restitution is theirs by right (S.C. Const. art. I, § 24). Officers must make an effort to alert the victim ahead of a bond hearing, and a judge postpones it when that alert came too late (S.C. Code 16-3-1525).

• Sheriff's Office victim rights unit: 216 C David Stone Road, Pickens, SC 29671, 864-898-5536.
• Easley Police Department victim services: 220 North West Main Street, Easley, SC 29640, 864-855-7945. City courts finish release paperwork so a city advocate can warn the victim first.
• Free custody alerts in English or Spanish: VINELink South Carolina or 866-727-2846.
• Attorney General's Victim Advocacy Division: 1000 Assembly Street, Room 519, Columbia, SC 29201, 803-737-3739.

Keep every friend and relative of the accused away from the victim. That means no calls, texts or passed-along messages. Breaking that rule can violate bond conditions and put the person back in jail.