The South Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases at Clemson University on Sept. 15 as part of an effort to boost transparency and public engagement with the courts system.
The two-day event that continues on Sept. 16 marks the first time that the state's highest court has held proceedings at Clemson University.
Clemson President Benjamin Ayers said the court session provides a significant opportunity for South Carolinians to see the judicial process firsthand.
More: SC Supreme Court to hear reality TV, National Guard cases at Clemson
"For our students, opportunities like this connect what we learn in the classroom with the institutions and leaders who serve our state," Ayers said. "We are grateful for the court making that experience possible here at Clemson."
In the first session, justices heard arguments in a case involving Gov. Henry McMaster's 2025 deployment of the South Carolina National Guard to Washington, D.C. The guard was deployed as part of President Donald Trump's push against crime in the capital city. Governors from conservative states, including Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, also deployed their national guards to the capital during 2025.
In response to the deployment, the South Carolina Public Interest Foundation and Navy veteran James Weninger sued McMaster and Maj. Gen. Robert B. Stilwell, adjunct general of the South Carolina National Guard. They argued the governor unlawfully activated guardsmen to Washington, D.C. to serve as police.
During oral arguments, Chief Justice John Kittredge questioned ACLU SC Legal Director Allen Chaney, who argued on behalf of the plaintiffs, whether the governor has the discretion to decide when to deploy the South Carolina National Guard.
"We're not asking the court was this a good idea or a bad idea to deploy the National Guard to D.C.," Chaney said. "We're asking does the statute actually authorize the governor to deploy under these conditions the guard to D.C."
Part of the line of questioning centered on whether the courts have the authority to intervene in this case under the separation of powers. Kittredge questioned whether the courts should have the jurisdiction to tell the governor how to exercise his authority, to which Chaney responded saying the constitution is should serve as supreme law.
Grayson Lambert, legal counsel for the governor, argued that the governor is the commander in chief of the South Carolina military and possesses the authority to deploy the guard.
"The National Guard's deployment to Washington, D.C. fits comfortably within that authority," Lambert said.
The South Carolina Supreme Court heard about an hour of arguments in the case. The justices have not yet issued a determination on whether the deployment was legal.
The second case justices heard involved Thomas Ravenel and Kathryn Dennis, stars of Bravo's reality television show Southern Charm.
On Sept. 16, the court will hear a Horry County case over a defendant's right to testify and an Anderson County product liability case after a customer was injured by a lithium battery that exploded.
Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina Supreme Court hears National Guard case at Clemson