State v. James Gregory

THIS OPINION HAS NO PRECEDENTIAL VALUE. IT SHOULD NOT BE
CITED OR RELIED ON AS PRECEDENT IN ANY PROCEEDING
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY RULE 268(d)(2), SCACR.

THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
In The Court of Appeals

The State, Respondent,

v.

James Orian Gregory, Appellant.

Appellate Case No. 2024-000072

Appeal From Greenville County
Perry H. Gravely, Circuit Court Judge

Unpublished Opinion No. 2025-UP-386
Submitted November 20, 2025 – Filed November 26, 2025

AFFIRMED

Appellate Defender Jessica M. Saxon, of Columbia, for
Appellant.

Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson and Assistant
Attorney General Brian Hollis Gibbs, both of Columbia,
for Respondent.

PER CURIAM: James Orian Gregory appeals the trial court's sentence requiring
him to register as a sex offender. On appeal, Gregory argues the trial court abused
its discretion by requiring him to register as a sex offender because the State failed
to establish good cause as required to impose registry. We affirm pursuant to Rule
220(b), SCACR.

We hold the trial court did not abuse its discretion in requiring Gregory to register
as a sex offender because the record supports that the State made a showing of
good cause for imposing registry. See State v. Hicks, 377 S.C. 322, 325, 659
S.E.2d 499, 500 (Ct. App. 2008) ("A judge or other sentencing authority is to be
accorded very wide discretion in determining an appropriate sentence, and must be
permitted to consider any and all information that reasonably might bear on the
proper sentence for the particular defendant, given the crime committed."); In re
M.B.H., 387 S.C. 323, 326, 692 S.E.2d 541, 542 (2010) ("A sentence will not be
overturned absent an abuse of discretion when the ruling is based on an error of
law or a factual conclusion without evidentiary support."); S.C. Code Ann.
§ 23-3-430(D) (2025) (explaining the trial court "may order as a condition of
sentencing that the person be included in the sex offender registry if good cause is
shown by the prosecution"); In re M.B.H., 387 S.C. at 327, 692 S.E.2d at 542
(holding "a finding of good cause in this context means only that the judge must
consider the facts and circumstances of the case to make the determination of
whether or not the evidence indicates a risk to reoffend sexually"); id. ("Such a
determination is a matter of the judge's discretion.").

AFFIRMED.1

MCDONALD, HEWITT, and TURNER, JJ., concur.

1
We decide this case without oral argument pursuant to Rule 215, SCACR.