The possible penalty decides which court takes a case.

• Magistrate Court tries charges that carry a fine up to $500, jail up to 30 days, or both (S.C. Code 22-3-550). Magistrates also run bond hearings and preliminary hearings.
• Municipal Court tries those same small charges when a town officer arrests someone inside town lines (S.C. Code 14-25-65).
• Shoplifting worth $2,000 or less can be tried in either one, with fines reaching $1,000 (S.C. Code 16-13-110).
• The Court of General Sessions, run by circuit judges, tries felonies and the more serious misdemeanors when the crime happened in this county.
• Family Court takes most charges against anyone younger than 18.

Six jurors sit on a magistrate jury (S.C. Code 22-3-545). The 7th Judicial Circuit is made up of this county and Cherokee County (S.C. Code 14-5-610).

Nearly all criminal hearings are in the courthouse at 180 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306. Its main line is 864-562-4021.

• Bond Court, inside the Detention Center, 950 California Avenue, Spartanburg, SC 29303, 864-596-3424. Sessions daily.
• Magistrate Court Central Office, 1st Floor, Suite 1119, 864-596-2564, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Direct lines: criminal 864-596-2566, traffic 864-596-2228, preliminary hearings 864-562-4016, jury trials 864-596-2730.
• Regional magistrates for Regions One, Two and Three. Their own phones have been out of order, so ask the courthouse line above to put you through.
• Court of General Sessions, 864-596-2591, Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Confirm the courtroom by phone. Mail court papers to the Clerk of Court, P.O. Box 3483, Spartanburg, SC 29304.
• Family Court, second floor, 864-596-2588.

A six-story courthouse with 17 courtrooms is being planned on Magnolia Street. Call ahead to confirm where your hearing is.

A town officer's small charges usually go to that town's judge, who can also set bond (S.C. Code 14-25-115).

• City of Spartanburg Municipal Court moved into the county courthouse on January 22, 2024: 180 Magnolia Street, Suite 1134, Spartanburg, SC 29306 (Courtroom 1E), 864-596-2038. Court meets Monday through Thursday. The office keeps 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. hours, and its payment window shuts at 4:30 p.m.
• Duncan Municipal Court, Town Hall, 153 West Main Street, Duncan, SC 29334. Clerk: 864-249-8013.
• Lyman keeps a court page on its town site. Town office: 81 Groce Road, Lyman, SC 29365, 864-439-3453.
• Inman lists a municipal court too. City Hall: 20 South Main Street, Inman, SC 29349, 864-472-6200.
• Wellford has a court page. City office: 307 Spartanburg Hwy, Wellford, SC 29385, 864-439-4875.
• Pacolet has a municipal court page. Town office: 180 Montgomery Ave., Pacolet, SC 29372, 864-474-9504.
• Woodruff takes court fine payments online. City Hall: 231 E. Hayne Street, Woodruff, SC 29388, 864-476-8154.

Arrested in Campobello, Chesnee, Cowpens, Greer, Landrum, Reidville or a rural area? Ring the Magistrate Court Central Office at 864-596-2564 to learn which court took the case.

Within 24 hours of an arrest, a magistrate holds a bond hearing (S.C. Code 22-5-510). Locally that happens daily at 11:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m. and midnight, plus extra sessions.

• The magistrate explains the charges and fixes the release terms.
• Officers share the criminal history, any pending charges and bonds already in force (S.C. Code 22-5-510(E)).
• Victims are entitled to notice and may speak.
• Anyone unable to afford counsel may apply for the public defender.

A preliminary hearing is possible for charges beyond a magistrate's trial power, but only if the defense asks. The deadline for the request is the 10th day after the bond hearing (Rule 2(a), SCRCrimP). At the hearing, a magistrate weighs whether the State's evidence is strong enough for General Sessions. The preliminary hearing desk is 864-562-4016.

Lower-level charges are tried by a magistrate or a town judge. A guilty plea ends it quickly. Pleading not guilty means a trial, decided by the judge or by six jurors. Two charges that come up often:

• Third-degree assault and battery: a fine of $500 or less, 30 days or less, or both (S.C. Code 16-3-600(E)(2))
• Shoplifting goods worth $2,000 or less: a fine up to $1,000, up to 30 days, or both (S.C. Code 16-13-110(B))

Magistrate jury trials are set through 864-596-2730. Traffic cases run through 864-596-2228.

Some charges can be dropped after a Solicitor's program. Choices include Alcohol Education for certain drinkers under 21, Traffic Education, and an intervention program for domestic violence cases. Apply at 180 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Director of Diversion Programs, 864-596-2630, can say whether a charge qualifies.

All felonies wind up in the Court of General Sessions. A typical route:

1. Bond hearing at the jail. The worst charges need a circuit judge instead.
2. Preliminary hearing in magistrate court, if the defense asks on time.
3. General Sessions. The Solicitor's office picks up the file and chooses how to proceed.
4. Plea or trial. The defendant pleads guilty or the case is tried.
5. Sentencing, handled by the circuit judge.

Each felony class has its own ceiling. Class A felonies can bring up to 30 years and Class F up to 5, with the other classes in between (S.C. Code 16-1-20). Shoplifting over $2,000 and under $10,000 can bring five years. At $10,000 or more, it can bring ten (S.C. Code 16-13-110(B)).

First-time defendants with nonviolent charges can ask about Pretrial Intervention (PTI). Those who complete PTI see the charge disposed of without a conviction and may apply to expunge it (S.C. Code 17-22-150). PTI costs $100 to apply and $250 to join, and the fees may be waived for anyone who can't pay (S.C. Code 17-22-110). Drug, Mental Health and Veterans treatment courts also run in the county.

Yes. Tougher rules apply from bond to sentence:

• Bond judge. A charge that could bring a life term or the death penalty is out of a magistrate's hands. A circuit judge sets that bond (S.C. Code 22-5-510(A)).
• Denial. Some crimes are on the state's violent list. Examples are carjacking, kidnapping, armed robbery and first-degree burglary. For these, a judge may refuse bond after looking at the evidence (S.C. Code 16-1-60).
• Another arrest on bond. The old bond is void by law once a new violent or gun felony case is filed during it. A circuit court hearing follows inside 30 days (S.C. Code 17-15-55(C)).
• PTI shut. Violent crimes and DUI can't go through Pretrial Intervention (S.C. Code 17-22-50).
• Murder. Punishable by 30 years to life, or by death (S.C. Code 16-3-20(A)).

Criminal cases for the State in this county and Cherokee County are handled by the 7th Circuit Solicitor. Its diversion team works at 180 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306, 864-596-2630. For a felony court date, use the General Sessions line, 864-596-2591.

Free defense comes from the Public Defender's county office, 180 Magnolia Street, Suite 2137, Spartanburg, SC 29306, 864-596-2561. Its lawyers take General Sessions cases, Family Court juvenile cases, Drug Court and any magistrate or city charge that might mean jail.

• Go to the office to apply. Staff weigh household income and property.
• An investigator meets with anyone who qualifies, and then a lawyer is named.
• South Carolina charges a $40 application fee that the clerk may lower or drop (S.C. Code 17-3-30).

The county's General Sessions page links to the state Public Index. Open it, press "Accept," and enter a name. It lists court records, not which jail holds someone.

Callers should know the person's legal name and birthday:

• Felony dates: General Sessions, 864-596-2591
• Magistrate cases: 864-596-2566
• City of Spartanburg cases: 864-596-2038
• Juvenile cases: Family Court, 864-596-2588

Deputies in the Sheriff's Warrant Division chase arrest and bench warrants across the county, 864-596-2189. Town officers serve them within town lines. Fugitive lists: the state's PPP Most Wanted Offenders, plus the Marshals' 15 Most Wanted. Clerks can also confirm by phone whether their court issued one. Clearing one goes best with a lawyer along: surrender to the issuing court, or call it about a new court date. General Sessions handles felony bench warrants, 864-596-2591. Magistrate warrants are handled at 180 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306, 864-596-2566.

Federal charges from here belong to the Spartanburg Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. Hearings may happen in the Donald S. Russell Federal Building, 201 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306, which lacks a clerk's office. Call the Greenville clerk instead, 864-241-2700.

1. At the person's first federal appearance, a judge decides on detention or release until trial (18 U.S.C. 3142).
2. Deputies from the U.S. Marshals hold each federal prisoner until trial and bring them to court. Their Greenville office, 300 East Washington Street, Room 232, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-232-1566, covers this county as well.
3. Pretrial prisoners are often kept in local jails, so ask the Marshals which one.
4. Once sentenced, find the person through the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

The criminal case moves ahead no matter what. The detainer only matters when release time comes.

1. The paper ICE uses is Form I-247A, called a detainer, filed with the Detention Center.
2. With it, ICE seeks a hold of up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)). That gives ICE time to pick the person up.
3. South Carolina jails must look into the immigration status of people booked on criminal charges. The check is due within 72 hours. Anyone found here unlawfully is reported to Homeland Security (S.C. Code 23-3-1100).
4. Unlawful presence and flight risk are part of every bond decision (S.C. Code 22-5-510(D)(4)).
5. Reach ICE at 3950 Faber Place Drive, North Charleston, SC 29405, 843-746-9800. Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator to search ICE custody.

Before any plea, a noncitizen should get legal advice on what it means for their status.

If the sentence runs past three months, the person goes to the South Carolina Department of Corrections, and SCDC picks the place (S.C. Code 24-3-20). Shorter time is normally done in the county jail.

• SCDC sorts every newcomer through reception and evaluation, and only then names a prison.
• Follow them on the SCDC inmate search or check custody by calling the SC VINE line, 866-727-2846.
• SCDC headquarters: 4444 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210, 803-896-8500.
• Our South Carolina prison directory lists every state facility.

After prison, supervision runs through the state probation office at 160 Commerce Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306, 864-596-2582.

Family Court hears children's cases. It sits upstairs in the courthouse, 180 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306, 864-596-2588.

• A detained child must get a hearing within 48 hours, a count that skips weekend days and holidays. The judge decides if there is probable cause to keep holding them (S.C. Code 63-19-830).
• Teens 14 to 16 facing certain serious felonies can be bound over to General Sessions (S.C. Code 63-19-1210).
• Public defenders take juvenile cases. A parent or guardian signs the money form and is responsible for the fee (S.C. Code 17-3-45).
• Most youth detained before court stay at the state Juvenile Detention Complex, 1725 Shivers Road, Columbia, SC 29210, 803-896-9440 (visitation).

The county's Department of Juvenile Justice staff work from 180 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306, 864-594-0004.

Victims in South Carolina have constitutional rights: hearing about court dates, speaking at bond hearings, talking things over with the prosecutor and being repaid for losses (S.C. Const. art. I, § 24). Officers must try to warn them about the arrest and the bond hearing in advance (S.C. Code 16-3-1525).

• Sign up for no-cost custody updates on VINELink South Carolina or at 866-727-2846, in English or Spanish.
• For help, call the Attorney General's Victim Advocacy Division, 803-737-3739.
• Safe Homes takes protection order requests on the third floor of the main courthouse, 180 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306, with no filing fee. Restraining orders are filed in civil magistrate court, 864-596-2564.

Family of the accused should leave the victim alone completely: no calls, texts, visits or messages through friends. Contact can break the bond and lead to new charges.