Supreme Court of South Carolina

Justin Jamal Lewis v. State

June 14, 2023

Summary

The South Carolina Supreme Court reversed in part the post‑conviction relief court’s summary dismissal of Lewis’s claims and remanded for a hearing on several alleged ineffective‑assistance allegations. The Court held that a pro se defendant may assert a colorable claim of pre‑trial counsel’s ineffective assistance and that the PCR court erred in dismissing those claims without a hearing.