South Carolina high court temporarily bans no-knock warrants

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Supreme Court has temporarily ordered judges to stop issuing "no-knock" search warrants.

The announcement, signed by Chief Justice Donald W. Beatty on Friday, said circuit and summary judges cannot sign off on the warrants until they receive further instruction from the state’s judicial branch on how to issue the warrants.

The court acknowledged the dangers that executing such warrants can pose to both members of the public and to law enforcement.