Supreme Court of South Carolina, 2007

The court affirmed dismissal of the minor’s claims against the psychiatrist and her professional association. It held that the child-abuse reporting statute does not create a private cause of action for negligence per se, and that common-law liability for failing to warn requires a specific threat directed at an…

The court affirmed the condemnation judgment, holding that the trial court acted within its discretion by using a special verdict form. It also held that SCDOT timely preserved its objection to the form, but that the form was not misleading or prejudicial because the jury instructions fully explained both permissible…

The South Carolina Supreme Court reversed the post‑conviction judge’s order vacating William R. Talley’s 1995 and 1996 misdemeanor convictions, holding that while Alabama v. Shelton applies retroactively on collateral review, the rule does not extend to Talley’s convictions because the 1995 case involved only a fine…