THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
In The Court of Appeals

The State,        Respondent,

v.

Jerome Johnson,        Appellant.

Appeal From Sumter County
Thomas W. Cooper, Jr., Circuit Court Judge

Opinion No.� 2003-UP- 137
Submitted January 10, 2003- Filed February 18, 2003

APPEAL DISMISSED

Assistant Appellate Defender Robert M. Pachak,; for Appellant.

Attorney General Henry Dargan McMaster, Chief Deputy Attorney General John W. McIntosh, Assistant Deputy Attorney General Charles H. Richardson, all of Columbia; Cecil Kelley Jackson, of Sumter; for Respondent.

PER CURIAM:� On November 7, 2001, Jerome Johnson pled guilty to the charge of attempted escape.� He was sentenced to six years imprisonment.� On appeal, Johnson argues that his guilty plea failed to comply with the mandates set forth in Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238 (1969).

Johnson�s appellate counsel submitted a petition to be relieved as counsel, stating he had reviewed the record and has concluded Johnson�s appeal is without merit.� Johnson has not filed any materials on his own behalf.

After a review of the record as required by Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), and State v. Williams, 305 S.C. 116, 406 S.E.2d 357 (1991), we hold there are no directly appealable issues that are arguable on their merits.� Accordingly, we dismiss Johnson�s appeal and grant counsel�s motion to be relieved. [1]

APPEAL DISMISSED.

Hearn, CJ., Goolsby, and Shuler, JJ., concur.