by Structured Settlement Watchdog
For the last week or so we've been covering the McClatchy news bombshell reports about South Carolina structured settlement 
factoring. Now it appears that
South Carolina's Chief Justice isn't wasting any time in taking action to investigate the structured settlement factoring mess.
Read Order of Donald W. Beatty Chief Justice dated September 7, 2022
Pursuant to Article V, Section 4 of the South Carolina Constitution,
IT IS ORDERED that all matters related to S.C. Code Ann. § 15-50-40 (2005) shall not be referred to Masters-In-Equity or special referees until further order of the Chief Justice. All pending orders referring these matters to Masters-In-Equity or special referees are hereby vacated.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that all Clerks of Court statewide shall, within five business days of the date of this order, identify all pending matters involving structured settlements for which a Master-In-Equity or special referee has been appointed and forward a list of those matters to their respective Chief Judges for Administrative Purposes.
The provisions of this order are effective immediately and remain in effect unless amended or revoked by subsequent order of the Chief Justice.
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s/Donald W. Beatty
Donald W. Beatty Chief Justice of South Carolina |
Columbia, South Carolina
September 7, 2022
Powers of Chief Justice; Rules; Admission to Practice of Law and Discipline of Persons Admitted
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall be the administrative head of the unified judicial system. He shall appoint an administrator of the courts and such assistants as he deems necessary to aid in the administration of the courts of the State. The Chief Justice shall set the terms of any court and shall have the power to assign any judge to sit in any court within the unified judicial system. Provided, each county shall be entitled to four weeks of court each year and such terms therefore shall be provided for by the General Assembly. Provided, further, that the Chief Justice shall set a term of at least one week in any court of original jurisdiction in any county within sixty days after receipt by him of a resolution of the county bar requesting it. The Supreme Court shall make rules governing the administration of all the courts of the State. Subject to the statutory law, the Supreme Court shall make rules governing the practice and procedure in all such courts. The Supreme Court shall have jurisdiction over the admission to the practice of law and the discipline of persons admitted.
One reasonable reaction is that plenty of people who really need the money are going to get screwed now.
Weren't many of them already being screwed by the bad behavior that led to the the bombshell reports in South Carolina?