Lancaster County judge tests positive for coronavirus; What it means for the public
A Lancaster County magistrate judge has tested positive for coronavirus, officials said.
The judge, who has not been identified, is recovering at home after testing positive for COVID-19, said Steve Willis, Lancaster County Administrator.
The judge has not been in the office since last week after a family member exhibited symptoms and tested positive, Willis said.
The judge did not display symptoms but the test was confirmed Wednesday, Willis said.
Since the onset of the pandemic, the magistrate office has remained open to the public, but in a limited way, Willis said.
The public can pay tickets or get court documents, but there is no contact between judges and the public because of a partition, Willis said. Magistrates handling court hearings do so by teleconference from the jail, Willis said.
The office remains open in the same limited capacity, Willis said. Other judges are handling cases and duties, and there has been no interruption in public service, Willis said.
“We do not believe there was, or is now, any risk to the public,” Willis said.
The office was deep-cleaned and sanitized as a precaution, Willis said. No other county magistrate judicial employees have tested positive, Willis said.
Magistrates in South Carolina handle bond hearings for those who are arrested, plus other misdemeanor case duties, police arrest warrants, and other functions, according to the S.C. Office of Court Administration.
There are about 300 summary court judges, called county magistrates, in the state. Lancaster County has four magistrate judges, according to county officials.
Lancaster County has had 110 positive cases of coronavirus since the pandemic started, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
The positive test for the Lancaster County magistrate judge is the seventh such case in York and Lancaster counties, officials said.
Officials with the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services confirmed in April that a Lancaster County employee had tested positive for the virus.
Law enforcement officers at the Fort Mill Police Department, Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriff’s Office and Clover Police Department also have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began.
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 12:57 PM.
