Crime-Victim and Witness Court-Attendance Leave Request Packet - South Carolina
SUBPOENAED CRIME-VICTIM OR WITNESS ATTENDANCE REQUEST PACKET
South Carolina — S.C. Code § 16-3-1550(A)
1. EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYER
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Employee | [________________________________] |
| Employer | [________________________________] |
| Position / department | [________________________________] |
| HR / supervisor contact | [________________________________] |
| Preferred confidential contact | [________________________________] |
2. COVERAGE GATE
- ☐ Employee is a victim.
- ☐ Employee is a witness.
- ☐ Employee is lawfully responding to a subpoena.
Do not use this route for voluntary attendance without a subpoena, jury service, or an employee who is neither a victim nor witness.
3. SUBPOENA AND ABSENCE
Court / issuing authority: [________________________________]
Case identifier, using the minimum information needed: [________________________________]
Subpoenaed date and time: [________________________________]
Expected work absence: [DATE / START / END]
Travel or waiting time requested: [________________________________]
Operational notice date, method, and recipient: [________________________________]
Section 16-3-1550(A) states no fixed advance-notice deadline, but a copy of the subpoena should be delivered promptly and securely.
Employee signature: __________________________ Date: ______________
4. MINIMUM SUPPORTING RECORD
- ☐ Subpoena copy delivered
- ☐ Scheduling update from court or prosecutor
- ☐ Other minimally necessary confirmation: [________________________________]
Do not attach charging papers, police reports, medical records, victim addresses, or offense narratives when the subpoena is sufficient.
5. WAGES AND BENEFITS
Section 16-3-1550(A) prohibits reducing the wages and benefits of a covered victim or witness who lawfully responds to a subpoena.
- ☐ Regular wages preserved for covered absence
- ☐ Benefits preserved
- ☐ Payroll classification reviewed by HR or counsel
- ☐ Schedule adjustment that does not reduce protected wages or benefits: [________________________________]
Do not characterize this route as unpaid leave without current South Carolina counsel review.
6. EMPLOYER RESPONSE
- ☐ Victim or witness status confirmed with minimum disclosure
- ☐ Lawful subpoena response confirmed
- ☐ Absence recorded: [________________________________]
- ☐ Wages and benefits preserved
- ☐ Counsel review required
The employer must not retaliate against, suspend, or reduce the wages and benefits of the covered employee. A willful violation constitutes contempt of court.
Employer representative: _____________________ Date: ______________
Decision delivered to employee: [DATE / METHOD]
7. CHANGE LOG
| Date | Court update | Employee notice | Revised schedule / payroll record |
|---|---|---|---|
| [________] | [________________] | [________________] | [________________] |
| [________] | [________________] | [________________] | [________________] |
OFFICIAL SOURCE VERIFIED
About this template
- Last updated
- August 11, 2026
- Citations checked
- August 11, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- South Carolina
- Category
- Employment & HR
Legal authority
- S.C. Code § 16-3-1550(A) (protection against retaliation, suspension, and wage or benefit reduction for victims and witnesses lawfully responding to a subpoena; contempt enforcement)
Employment documents govern the relationship between a company and its workers, from offer letters and employment agreements through handbooks, performance reviews, and separations. Done right, they set clear expectations, protect against wrongful termination and discrimination claims, and give both sides a record to rely on. Done poorly, they invite lawsuits, agency complaints, and costly disputes.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on August 11, 2026.
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