COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Criminal defense attorney William Nettles has been approved to serve as South Carolina's top federal prosecutor.
The U.S. Senate passed Nettles' nomination Thursday.
In December, President Barack Obama nominated the 48-year-old attorney to succeed Walt Wilkins, who held the post since mid-2008.
Kevin McDonald has served as acting U.S attorney since Wilkins left office in January.
Nettles is a graduate of The Citadel and Widener School of Law.
He served as a public defender in Richland County from 1995 to 1997 before going into private practice.
He now practices with his father-in-law, former judge and Charleston School of Law founder Alex Sanders. He primarily handles criminal defense and death penalty cases.
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