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 Supreme Court

The State, Respondent,

v.

James Kevin Bethel, Jr., Petitioner.

Appellate Case No. 2017-000096

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE COURT OF APPEALS

Appeal from Richland County Deadra L. Jefferson, Circuit Court Judge

Memorandum Opinion No. 2018-MO-022 Heard May 23, 2018 – Filed May 30, 2018

DISMISSED AS IMPROVIDENTLY GRANTED

Appellate Defender David Alexander, of Columbia, for Petitioner.

Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson, Deputy Attorney General Donald J. Zelenka, Senior Assistant Attorney General Melody Jane Brown, Assistant Attorney General Alphonso Simon, Jr., and Solicitor Daniel Edward Johnson, all of Columbia, for Respondent. PER CURIAM: We issued a writ of certiorari to review the decision of the court of appeals in State v. Bethel, Op. No. 2016-UP-473 (S.C. Ct. App. filed Nov. 9, 2016). We now dismiss the writ as improvidently granted.

DISMISSED AS IMPROVIDENTLY GRANTED.

KITTREDGE, Acting Chief Justice, HEARN, FEW, JAMES, JJ., and Acting Justice James E. Lockemy, concur.