THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
In The Court of Appeals

The State,        Respondent,

v.

Robert Lavern Hilton,        Appellant.

Appeal From Florence County
L. Casey Manning, Circuit Court Judge

Unpublished Opinion No. 2003-UP-498
Submitted June 9, 2003 – Filed August 26, 2003

APPEAL DISMISSED

Deputy Chief Attorney Joseph L. Savitz, III, Office of Appellate Defense, of Columbia, for Appellant.

Attorney General Henry Dargan McMaster, Chief Deputy Attorney General John W. McIntosh,  Assistant Deputy Attorney General Charles H. Richardson, all of Columbia;  and Solicitor Edgar Lewis Clements, III, of Florence, for Respondent.

PER CURIAM: Robert Lavern Hilton appeals from his guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter.  He contends the circuit court erred by accepting his plea without obtaining a waiver for the right to confront his accusers.  Hilton’s counsel attached to the brief a petition to be relieved as counsel, stating that he had reviewed the record and concluded this appeal lacks merit.  After a thorough review of the record and counsel’s brief pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), and State v. Williams, 305 S.C. 116, 406 S.E.2d 357 (1991), we dismiss [1] Hilton’s appeal and grant counsel’s motion to be relieved.

APPEAL DISMISSED.

HEARN, C.J., CONNOR and ANDERSON, JJ., concur.