Opinion ID: 1169838
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Prejudice Resulting from Attorney's Motion to Withdraw

Text: Rukavina asserts that his trial counsel's motion to withdraw three days before trial damaged Rukavina's credibility and prejudiced the trial court. When counsel learned that Finnas had withdrawn her affidavit and was unwilling to testify, he became concerned that if Finnas were called as a witness she, and perhaps even Rukavina, might commit perjury. He moved to withdraw as counsel, expressing these reservations and his fear of compromising his own ethical duty as an officer of the court. After further investigation, however, he concluded that his fears were unfounded. At the hearing on the motion to withdraw, he stated that he was no longer concerned about the possibility of perjury. He still desired to withdraw, however, due to procedural and financial frictions with plaintiff. The trial court denied his motion, and although he expressed some reservations as to his counsel's performance, Rukavina affirmed his desire for the attorney to remain on the case. Rukavina did not move for the trial judge to recuse himself. Here again, Rukavina must show prejudice to the outcome of the trial as to the dispositive issue of payment. However, Rukavina's credibility was irrelevant in the determination that Barney received the $7,500 payment in his behalf because he did not testify on that issue. Moreover, the trial judge was present at the hearing where counsel retracted his concern regarding perjury. Therefore, any danger of prejudice arising from the motion was neutralized by the hearing, and Rukavina has not shown that he was damaged by his counsel's motion to withdraw. Finally, if Rukavina was genuinely concerned about the possibility of prejudice, he was free to file an affidavit of bias or prejudice in advance of the trial as would have been proper under rule 63(b), Utah Rules of Civil Procedure. We are in accord with the Utah Court of Appeals that [w]e will not, therefore, consider the issue of judicial bias or prejudice when it is raised, as in the present case, for the first time on appeal. Wade v. Stangl, 869 P.2d 9, 11 (Utah.Ct.App. 1994). We hold that the evidence supports the finding that Rukavina received the benefit of his lawful bargain and that he has failed to demonstrate that he was prejudiced by the actions of his counsel or of the trial court. We therefore affirm the trial court's dismissal of all causes of action and its denial of a new trial. ZIMMERMAN, C.J., and DURHAM, RUSSON and McIFF, JJ., concur in Justice HOWE's opinion. Having disqualified himself, STEWART, Associate C.J., does not participate herein; K.L. McIFF, District Judge, sat.