Mims Amusement Co. v. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division

Justice BURNETT:

This appeal raises the novel issue of whether a party has a right to a jury trial, under the state constitution, in a civil forfeiture proceeding involving an allegedly illegal video gaming machine. We certified this case for review from the Court of Appeals pursuant to Rule 204(b), SCACR, on the motion of Appellant, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). We now reverse the circuit court’s ruling that a right to a jury trial exists in such a case.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Law enforcement officials seized a Safari Skill video game belonging to Mims Amusement…