Four South Carolina Prosecutors Receive Awards for Excellence from the United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina Adair F. Boroughs

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA – United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina, Adair F. Boroughs, recognized four South Carolina Prosecutors for their distinguished achievements during the opening night of the 2023 South Carolina Solicitors’ Annual Conference, which took place in October 8-11, 2023, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 

U.S. Attorney Boroughs presented four categories of awards: the 2023 General Sessions Ernest F. Hollings Award for Excellence in State Prosecution to Eleventh Circuit Deputy Solicitor Rhonda W. Patterson; the 2023 South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Ernest F. Hollings Award for Excellence in State Prosecution to Senior Assistant Attorney General Tracy Meyers; the 2023 Family Court Ernest F. Hollings Award for Excellence in State Prosecution to Twelfth Circuit Assistant Solicitor Stephen Hill; and the 2023 John R. Justice Community Leadership Award to Fifth Circuit Assistant Solicitor, and the late Prosecutor John R. Justice’s daughter, Ivy Justice.

The Ernest F. Hollings Awards for Excellence in State Prosecution were conceived in 1996 and begun in 1997 as a means for federal prosecutors to take the lead in publicly recognizing their state court colleagues who generally have to do much more with much less. As Chairman of the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee, then United States Attorney J. René Josey enlisted the support of United States Senator Ernest F. Hollings to make the awards a reality. As a former Charleston prosecutor and longtime legislative supporter of law enforcement, Senator Hollings was more than willing to lend his aid. The Senator Hollings awards are presented annually to recognize an Assistant Solicitor in each of the following categories: (1) excellence in prosecution in the Court of General Sessions; and/or (2) excellence in prosecution in the Family Courts. In 2006, a third category was added to recognize an Assistant Attorney General.

Established in 2012, the John R. Justice Community Leadership Award is presented annually by the U.S. Attorney. Nominations are received from the U.S. Attorney, elected Solicitors, the Executive Director of the S.C. Commission on Prosecution Coordination, past elected Solicitors, or past recipients of the award. The award is presented at the annual Solicitor’s conference to an Assistant Solicitor who has exhibited exemplary citizenship and/or implementation of innovative solutions to advance public safety and improve the quality of the lives of members of his or her community. The award was named for Solicitor John R. Justice who over a period of decades honored and served both the criminal justice system and his community. The John R. Justice Community Leadership Award recognizes that community involvement, citizenship, and innovative ideas serve to advance public safety and the criminal justice system.

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