The Hon. David G. Guyton is a judge for the 16th Judicial Circuit Family Court of South Carolina. He was elected to the bench by the South Carolina General Assembly in February 2010 and re-elected in 2013 and 2019.
The 16th Judicial Circuit includes York and Union Counties.
Prior to his election, Guyton was a partner at Harrelson, Hayes & Guyton since 1996. He joined the firm in 1991 after his honorable discharge from the United States Marine JAG Corps. In addition to his practice, Guyton served as an associate city judge for the City of Rock Hill (1999 to 2009), a Guardian ad time in custody cases, and a volunteer GAL in DSS neglect and abuse cases. He also provided pro bono assistance and military assistance to Military Personnel programs through the South Carolina Bar.
He received a B.A. from Furman University in 1983. Guyton then completed a J.D. at the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1987. He was admitted to practice in South Carolina in 1988.
Guyton also graduated from the Naval Justice School (1989) and the United States Army Command and General Staff College (2001). He served on active duty as a judge advocate in the United States Marine Corps and is a Desert Shield/Desert Storm veteran. During that time, Guyton prosecuted courts-martial as trial counsel in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He later joined the South Carolina Army National Guard as a Captain in 1992 and retired with the rank of Colonel in 2017. His other deployments include Texas in Operation Noble Eagle in response to the attacks on 9/11, as well as assignments in the Republic of South Korea, Israel, and Columbia, South America.
His memberships include the York County Bar (past president), the South Carolina Bar, and the American Bar Association. Guyton also spent ten years on the Commission on Lawyer Conduct and has served as a member of the Commission on Judicial Conduct. Guyton has also been involved with the Kiwanis Club of Rock Hill (past president) and served as a judge advocate for VFW Post 2889 and the Marine Corps League of Olde English Leathernecks Detachment.
He received the South Carolina Outstanding Young American in Religious Leadership Award from the South Carolina Jaycees (1985), the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award from the South Carolina Bar (1996 to 1997), and the CWF Spencer Jr. Community Service Award from the York County Bar (1995).
Guyton was born in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and attended Northwestern High School. He and his wife, Crystal, principal of York Road Elementary School, have two children. Guyton identifies as a Baptist. In his free time, he enjoys physical fitness.