SCDSS v. Travis Phillips

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 Court of Appeals

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.

Appellate Case No. 2022-001540

Appeal From Florence County
FitzLee H. McEachin, Family Court Judge

Unpublished Opinion No. 2023-UP-131
Submitted March 20, 2023 – Filed March 29, 2023

AFFIRMED

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),1 we find no meritorious issues warrant briefing. Accordingly, we affirm
the family court's ruling and relieve Phillips's counsel.

AFFIRMED. 2

WILLIAMS, C.J., and GEATHERS and VERDIN, JJ., concur.

1
See also S.C. Dep't of Soc. Servs. v. Downer, S.C. 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").
2
We decide this case without argument pursuant to Rule 215, SCACR.