Opinion ID: 853428
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Issue in Postconviction Proceedings

Text: The first issue for the postconviction court was whether, under these circumstances, it was within the trial court's discretion to accept Latta's waiver of conflict-free representation. We think the defendant's waiver should be presumed valid, and the burden in postconviction proceedings is on the defendant to prove otherwise. If there is evidence supporting the conclusion of an uninformed, or worse, improperly influenced waiver, the postconviction court must assess the defendant's appreciation of the risks. If knowing and voluntary, the waiver is at least entitled to a very strong presumption of validity, and may be conclusive, because it invokes her right to counsel of her choice. If the waiver does not preclude a subsequent claim of ineffective assistance, there remains the issue, as Cuyler put it, of whether an actual conflict of interest adversely affected [the] lawyer's performance. Cuyler, 446 U.S. at 348-49, 100 S.Ct. 1708. If so, prejudice under Strickland is presumed. The trial court's investigation of the level of Latta's understanding of these risks was cursory at best. The postconviction court made no finding as to that understanding. Because we find Latta's counsel to have been ineffective irrespective of these issues, we need not resolve them on appeal. However, we caution trial courts in similar circumstances that it is prudent at least to inquire in greater detail as to the defendant's understanding of potential areas of conflict. Here, these included the risk that defenses may not be fully aligned, and that evidence exculpatory of one may be inculpatory of another.