South Carolina's chief justice is ordering all Circuit and Family Court judges in the state to attend a summit this summer on human trafficking.
The order signed by Chief Justice Costa Pleicones (Pluh-KON-us) was issued Friday.
It said the state Office of Court Administration is working with Attorney General Alan Wilson's office in planning the event which is scheduled for Aug. 16 in Columbia. Prosecutors and public defenders from across the state are also being invited.
There are also expected to be representatives of law enforcement agencies, including SLED, mental health and social service workers and representatives of the U.S. Attorney's Office, the state Department of Education and the state Department of Health and Human Services.