Opinion ID: 1751322
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: Request for a Recess

Text: Branch asserts that appellate counsel was ineffective for not raising the issue that the trial court improperly denied his request for a recess so that counsel could confer with petitioner before beginning redirect examination of Branch. In Bova v. State, 410 So.2d 1343 (Fla.1982), this Court held that a trial court could not, without violating the constitutional right to counsel, preclude attorney-client consultation during a recess. Id. at 1344-45. However, in Perry v. Leeke, 488 U.S. 272, 109 S.Ct. 594, 102 L.Ed.2d 624 (1989), the United States Supreme Court held that the Sixth Amendment right to counsel is not violated when a trial court denies such access during a short recess, on the basis that when a defendant becomes a witness, the defendant has no constitutional right to consult with his lawyer while he is testifying. Id. at 283-84, 109 S.Ct. 594. According to the Court, the defendant has an absolute right to such consultation before he begins to testify, but neither he nor his lawyer has a right to have the testimony periodically interrupted in order to give him the benefit of counsel's advice. Id. at 281, 109 S.Ct. 594. Moreover, there is not a constitutional right to a recess and whether to grant one is a matter of discretion to be exercised by the trial court. See id. at 283, 109 S.Ct. 594; Bova, 410 So.2d at 1344 ([T]he trial court has complete discretion in permitting recesses and in controlling recess duration.). Here, there was no recess granted by the trial court. We conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying Branch's attempt to confer with counsel in the middle of his testimony. Based upon the foregoing, we hold that appellate counsel was not ineffective in failing to raise an issue that is without merit.