Tribal court of criminal jurisdiction; delineation of Tribal and state jurisdiction; Tribal peace officers; training; cross-deputization.
S.C. Code Ann. § 27-16-70
in effect(A) Except as provided in this section, South Carolina shall exercise exclusive jurisdiction over all crimes under the statutory or common law of this State. (B) A constitution adopted by the Tribe may provide for a tribal court with criminal jurisdiction. (1) If a tribal court with criminal jurisdiction is created, the territorial jurisdiction of the court both original and appellate must be limited to the Reservation; the jurisdiction of the court over persons must be limited to members of the Tribe; and the subject matter jurisdiction of the court is limited to crimes within the jurisdiction of the state magistrates' courts and to any additional misdemeanors and petty offenses specified in the ordinances or laws adopted by the Tribe. The fines and penalties for the offenses may not exceed the maximum fines and penalties that a state magistrate's court may impose. (2) In all cases in which the tribal court has jurisdiction over state law, its jurisdiction must be concurrent with the jurisdiction of the magistrates' courts of the State; and defendants shall have the right to remove the cases to the magistrate's court or appeal their convictions in tribal court cases to the General Sessions Court, in the same manner that magistrate's court decisions may be appealed, or in accordance with procedures the General Assembly may provide. In cases where the tribal court is applying those additional ordinances or laws described in item (1), it shall have exclusive jurisdiction. (C) For the purpose of enforcing the Tribe's powers provided by this chapter and the federal implementing legislation, the Tribe may employ peace officers. (1) If the Tribe elects to employ peace officers, all tribal peace officers shall undergo and pass the same course of training required of sheriff's deputies by South Carolina. (2) The State, the Counties of York and Lancaster, and the Tribe shall enter into a cross-deputization agreement whereby tribal law enforcement officers are authorized to enforce state, county, and tribal law within the Reservation against members and nonmembers of the Tribe, and state and county law enforcement officers are authorized to enforce state, county, and tribal law within the Reservation against members and nonmembers of the Tribe. However, if the reservation is located in only one of the two counties, only the sheriff of that county shall enter into a cross deputization agreement as provided in this section.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t27c016.phpFetched: 10/17/2026