Lexington County has recently adopted a consolidated court process to resolve all Domestic Violence 3rd Degree charges. This means that every DV 3rd case in Lexington County, including cases from municipalities, will be referred to a central court and will be prosecuted by a specialized prosecutor.
Lexington’s DV Court is located at 139 East Main Street. This is in the “Old Courthouse”, located at the corner of East Main and South Lake Drive. The main parking lot is located in the back of the building. There is limited street parking. The entrance for the public (including defendants), is located at the front of the building.
This is a new system. Up until the adoption of this DV Court system, domestic violence cases were heard in a variety of courts. Cases made by the Sheriff’s Department (which makes the bulk of DV arrests), were heard in various county magistrate courts. This means that depending on where the arrest was made, the case may be heard in the magistrate court in Lexington, Irmo, West Columbia, Swansea or Batesburg. Cases made by municipal police departments were assigned to the corresponding municipal court which means it may have been Town of Lexington, Irmo, Chapin, West Columbia, Cayce, Springdale, Pine Ridge, Pelion, Gaston, Batesburg, Chapin, or South Congaree. That’s a total of 17 separate courts in Lexington County that were hearing DV 3rd cases. That’s been consolidated now just to 1, the central DV Court.
This new DV Court does not affect General Sessions level cases, which include 1st and 2nd degree DV along with DVHAN. Those cases remain in General Sessions and are continued to be prosecuted by the Solicitor’s Office.
We advise everyone charged with any domestic violence charge to consult with an attorney before their court date. There are options that can be available to help in any situation. This includes modifying or lifting any “no contact” bond restrictions, and strategies to help people avoid being sent to jail or having a domestic violence conviction reported to their record. We can immediately begin work to help challenge or contest any domestic violence case, and help our clients fight false or unfair allegations.
James Snell is the author of the book “Challenging CDV”, now in its 3rd edition. This is the book on available defense procedures and strategies for South Carolina domestic violence charges. He has represented hundreds of individuals, both men and women, facing domestic violence charges in Lexington, Columbia, and all surrounding areas. He offers free consultations to those facing domestic violence charges at his office located at 123 Harmon Street in downtown Lexington. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.
Everyone who consults with us regarding their case will receive a free copy of Challenging CDV. You may also purchase a copy from Amazon.com.