Jurisdiction over the accused attaches upon service of charges on the accused. Failure to respond or appear shall not defeat jurisdiction to try and sentence an accused in absentia.
S.C. Code Ann. § 25-1-2726
Jurisdiction over accused
1985 Act No. 84, SECTION 42.
Official source: South Carolina Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain South Carolina statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.