County judge rejected by House after winning lawsuit against Richland County lawmakers

A Richland County judge, who once sued lawmakers to keep his job on the bench, will now lose his post following a controversial vote by the House on Tuesday.

Joseph Strickland, who has served as the master-in-equity for Richland County for the past 34 years, will lose his judgeship after the House voted 62-31 to reject his candidacy Tuesday.

In a string of controversial events, Strickland sued the Richland County Delegation last summer after it refused to forward his name to Gov. Henry McMaster. Strickland, the only candidate vying for the position, was vetted by the Judicial Merit Selection Commission — in 2021 — and deemed qualified.

Despite the JMSC’s favorable report in 2021, the Richland County Delegation decided, for reasons that are still unclear — to lawmakers and the public alike — to wait two years before announcing its decision to not approve Strickland’s candidacy, and instead invited other applicants to apply.

Following the delegation’s 2023 decision, Strickland asked the South Carolina Supreme Court to force the Richland County Legislative Delegation to forward his name to McMaster in order that he may be approved for another term that would expire in 2027.

Strickland’s lawsuit caused turmoil during a Richland County Delegation meeting last August, when some Richland County lawmakers said they were unaware that Strickland’s name had not been sent to the governor’s office for reappointment.

“There was never a vote by this delegation to approve or disapprove or reject (Strickland),” said state Sen. Dick Harpootlian during the delegation’s meeting last August. “It was never a vote to declare (Strickland’s position) open.”

Masters-in-equity are county-based judges who have jurisdiction in matters referred by the circuit courts, such as cases involving foreclosures or contracts. Unlike state judge positions, masters are appointed to a six-year term by the governor, subject to the advice and consent of the General Assembly.

At issue in Stickland’s legal challenge was whether the county delegation, which comprises the state senators and representatives elected from the county, has a statutory obligation to submit a candidate’s name determined by the JMSC to be qualified, when the commission recommends only one candidate to the delegation.

The South Carolina Supreme Court said yes, and ordered the Richland County Delegation to forward Strickland’s name to McMaster for reappointment, which it did. Following Strickland’s appointment by the governor last year, he still needed the General Assembly to sign off on his appointment.

“After suing the delegation, and going to the newspaper to tell lies about a member and his son, (Strickland) has asked the delegation to send him back to a seat that he has held for 34 years, where the delegation has voted not to send him back there,” said state Rep. Todd Rutherford, a Richland County Democrat, told his collea gues on the floor Tuesday.

Strickland has served as master-in-equity in Richland County since 1989. While his term expired in April of 2021, even without being officially reappointed, he remains in a carryover status, meaning that he can remain on the bench until another candidate is appointed to replace him.