SC high court sets June 24 hearing in Harrell case

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s high court will hear a challenge to a judge’s dismissal of an investigation into one of the state’s top lawmakers.

On Tuesday, the state Supreme Court sent a letter to all parties involved setting a June 24 hearing date. The high court also set a June 19 deadline for filing all briefs.

Attorney General Alan Wilson has asked the justices to overturn a decision by Circuit Judge Casey Manning, who has ruled the prosecutor improperly empaneled a State Grand Jury to consider corruption allegations against House Speaker Bobby Harrell.

Manning said courts cannot consider such a case against a lawmaker until a legislative ethics panel has reviewed it. Harrell’s attorneys agree, but Wilson says the ruling infringes on his role as the state’s top prosecutor.

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Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnard