In re Griffin, No. 2018-001975 (S.C. Ct. App. 2021)
Nature of Case: Appellant pled guilty but mentally ill to a sex offense and was sentenced to twenty years’ imprisonment. Prior to his release, the state moved to commit him under the state’s SVP commitment scheme. Prior to trial Appellant moved for a competency evaluation which was denied. The Appellant was found to be a SVP and appealed.
Holding: The South Carolina Court of Appeals affirmed, finding that given the existence of other due process protections in the statutory scheme, a finding of competence is not a requirement for commitment.