Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Charles Silvers, Appellant
Court: New York Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1986-11-13
Citations: 68 N.Y.2d 957
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Charles Silvers, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York Reports
Volume: 68
Pages: 957–958

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Charles Silvers, Appellant.
Argued October 9, 1986;
decided November 13, 1986
APPEARANCES OF COUNSEL
Cynthia R. Finn and Philip L. Weinstein for appellant.
Robert M. Morgenthau, District Attorney (Jeffrey Scott Sarokin and Amyjane Rettew of counsel), for respondent.

Opinion:
OPINION OF THE COURT
Memorandum.
The order of the Appellate Division should be reversed, the conviction vacated, and a new trial ordered.
The People concede that the trial court erred in denying the defendant's motion to represent himself on the ground that he was not sufficiently versed in the law to do so (see, People v McIntyre, 36 NY2d 10). The People's alternative argument that the defendant should have been disqualified from acting as his own attorney because of his "deceptive character", was not preserved for review in the trial court. In any event it is not a rational ground for disqualifying a defendant in a criminal case.
Chief Judge Wachtler and Judges Meyer, Simons, Kaye, Alexander, Titone and Hancock, Jr., concur in memorandum.
Order reversed, etc.