Four women among seven seeking York County judge seat SC GOP lawmakers left empty
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After South Carolina Republican lawmakers rebuffed a female public defender seeking a York County Circuit Court judge seat earlier this year and left the seat vacant to seek a more conservative candidate, seven lawyers are now seeking the open slot on the bench.
The race comes as a national spotlight on judges releasing people on bail is focused locally after a suspect freed without bond killed a woman on a Charlotte light rail train, according to court records.
One of the candidates is the same woman who lost the uncontested election in the S.C. General Assembly in February when many GOP members voted against her as they sought a more conservative judge.
Another is a veteran female prosecutor and former magistrate judge who would, if elected, be the first African-American circuit court judge in York County.
York County in its history has only had white male judges. It has never has had a female circuit court judge, nor one of color.
The 16th Judicial Circuit — made up of York and Union counties — has two resident judge seats. The open seat came with the retirement of 16th Circuit Judge Dan Hall. Judge Bill McKinnon, the other 16th Circuit resident judge, is not up for election this year.
Voters don’t elect judges in South Carolina. The legislature chooses them after a review process by the Judicial Merit Selection Commission, which is made up of legislators and other appointees. South Carolina is one of only two states where judges are elected by the legislature — Virginia is the other.
The election by legislators is set for March.
The 7 candidates: 4 women, one person of color
The candidates names were recently released publicly by the commission. They are, in alphabetical order:
- Christopher E.A. Barton is a former city of Rock Hill senior solicitor who prosecuted city cases and spent more than two decades as a lawyer in the S.C. National Guard.
- Thomas L. Bowen Jr. is a lawyer at the 16th Circuit Public Defender’s Office. He also worked previously as a prosecutor with the 16th Circuit Solicitor’s office.
- P. John Freeman is an attorney who works for the public defender’s office in neighboring Lancaster County. He handles cases up to homicides.
- Melissa A. Inzerillo — who lost the uncontested race in February — is running again. She is a senior deputy attorney at the 16th Circuit Public Defender’s Office handling felony cases up to murder.
- Chisa J. Putman, city of Rock Hill Solicitor, was the first Black full-time magistrate judge in York County.
- Leslie Robinson is a senior solicitor at the 16th Circuit Solicitor’s Office who handles violent crimes, including recently prosecuting a woman in a decades old homicide by child abuse case where a baby was left dead in the Catawba River.
- Misti Shelton is assistant deputy at the 16th Circuit Solicitor’s Office for over 20 years who has prosecuted cases including homicides, sex cases and other violent crimes, including a recent stabbing death of a woman at the hands of her boyfriend.
Why Circuit Judges are crucial to public safety
Circuit court judges handle criminal cases and sentence criminal offenders who are found guilty by a jury or plead guilty. That is thousands of criminal cases each year.
They also set or deny bail to the accused if the person has been sent to the county jail after arrest, addressing concerns of seriousness of the crime, danger to the community, public safety or flight risk. That happens dozens of times a week in court.
Their decisions — especially on sentencing and bail — are often scrutinized by the public because courts are open and judicial decisions are public record.
Judicial decisions to release suspects is an ongoing national discussion with local ties after a Charlotte man with a criminal record and mental health problems was released earlier this year without having to post any bail in a case alleging he misused the 911 system. He is now charged with stabbing a woman on a light rail train in August. Critics from President Donald Trump to local politicians have questioned why he was not in jail at the time the killing happened.
Thousands of York County residents work in nearby Charlotte.
Three times since 2017, male York County domestic violence suspects released on bail or subject to court restraining orders later killed the female victim while free on bond.
Circuit judges also handle civil lawsuits and approve civil settlements.
Circuit judges serve six-year terms and make $221,925 per year. They have statewide jurisdiction and often travel to other counties.
Political process for picking a judge
Inzerillo’s failed bid for the seat earlier this year showed the politics that is part of how judges are picked in South Carolina.
She was the only candidate to run after another lawyer dropped out after initially filing for the seat. Candidates have to submit lengthy questionnaire answers about their legal qualifications, then are interviewed in person. Inzerillo was found qualified by the judicial merit commission and lauded publicly by several of its members, but several York County Republicans spearheaded a statewide push to vote against her.
Inzerillo’s supporters earlier this year — including S.C. Rep. John King, the only Democrat and Black member of the York County legislative delegation — called the failure to choose the sole qualified candidate appalling and shameful.
Republicans — including state Sen. Wes Climer who is now running for Congress — said the vote against Inzerillo gives the county a chance this year to select a more conservative judge who will be attentive to crime victims.
Veteran Republican S.C. Rep. Tommy Pope of York — York County’s former top prosecutor — said the public deserves a full list of candidates to choose from.
What happens next?
Judge candidates in South Carolina generally are barred by judicial rules from pushing their candidacy or engaging in politics during the process.
Candidates are subject to interviews by the S.C. Bar Association — made up of the state’s lawyers — and citizens committees. The public also has a right to send in complaints about candidates to the commission by noon on Nov. 3.
After the candidates have in-person interviews in November that will be live-streamed on the legislature’s website, the judicial merit commission will have to pick no more than six to become official candidates. State law changes that took effect in July raised the cap on the number of finalists from three up to six.
The finalists also can’t seek legislators’ support until Feb. 10.
Several other judge seats across the state are up for election next year, including one South Carolina Supreme Court seat.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Chisa Putman is the first African-American candidate to file for York County Circuit Court judge. Another person filed to run for judge in previous races.
This story was originally published September 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
