Opinion
2023-UP-131 Appellate Case 2022-001540
03-29-2023
South Carolina Department of Social Services, Respondent, v. Travis Phillips and Elease Hickson, Defendants, Of whom Travis Phillips is the Appellant. In the interest of a minor under the age of eighteen.
Nancy Carol Fennell, of Irmo, for Appellant. Taylor Jule Yarnal, of South Carolina Department of Social Services, of Florence, for Respondent. Stuart Wesley Snow, Jr., of Snow & Bailey Law Firm, P.A., of Florence, for the Guardian ad Litem.
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.
Submitted March 20, 2023
Appeal From Florence County FitzLee H. McEachin, Family Court Judge
Nancy Carol Fennell, of Irmo, for Appellant.
Taylor Jule Yarnal, of South Carolina Department of Social Services, of Florence, for Respondent.
Stuart Wesley Snow, Jr., of Snow & Bailey Law Firm, P.A., of Florence, for the Guardian ad Litem.
PER CURIAM.
Travis Phillips appeals the family court's final order removing his minor child from his custody and finding there was a substantial risk of physical abuse. See S.C. Code Ann. § 63-7-20(6)(a)(i) (Supp. 2022). Upon a thorough review of the record and the family court's findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Ex parte Cauthen, 291 S.C. 465, 354 S.E.2d 381 (1987), we find no meritorious issues warrant briefing. Accordingly, we affirm the family court's ruling and relieve Phillips's counsel.
See also S.C. Dep't of Soc. Servs. v. Downer, SC Sup. Ct. Order dated Feb. 2, 2005 (expanding the Cauthen procedure to situations when "an indigent person appeals from an order imposing other measures short of termination of parental rights").
We decide this case without argument pursuant to Rule 215, SCACR.
WILLIAMS, C.J., and GEATHERS and VERDIN, JJ., concur.