THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
In The Court of Appeals

The State,        Respondent,

v.

Melvin Rice,        Appellant,

Appeal From Greenville County
Charles B. Simmons, Jr., Special Circuit Court Judge

Unpublished Opinion No. 2003-UP-650
Submitted August 20, 2003 – Filed November 6, 2003   

APPEAL DISMISSED

Senior Assistant Appellate Defender Wanda H. Haile, of Columbia; for Appellant.

Attorney General Henry Dargan McMaster, Chief Deputy Attorney General John W. McIntosh, Assistant Deputy Attorney General Charles H. Richardson, of Columbia; Solicitor Robert M. Ariail, of Greenville; for Respondent.

PER CURIAM:  Melvin Rice appeals his conviction for failure to stop for a blue light, arguing the lower court erred in accepting his plea prior to an inquiry as to whether any basis in fact existed in support of the plea.  Rice’s counsel attached to the brief a petition to be relieved as counsel, stating that she 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] Rice’s appeal and grant counsel’s motion to be relieved.

APPEAL DISMISSED.

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