Opinion ID: 1038521
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Renewed Faretta Inquiry

Text: Miller contends the district court should have renewed a Faretta inquiry during his trial because circumstances had changed since his previous Faretta hearing. Specifically, Miller argues his closing argument revealed: 1) he did not understand the proceedings; and 2) he possessed potentially exculpatory evidence of a trusted accountant, but neither realized its importance nor how to present it. Miller argues the district court’s failure to inform him about the knowledge element of and possible defenses to his charges during any of his Faretta hearings, coupled with the time lapse since his last Faretta hearing, exacerbated this change in circumstances. We review de novo a district court’s decision to allow a defendant to proceed pro se. United States v. Tschacher, 687 F.3d 923, 931 (8th Cir. 2012) (citation omitted). “Under the Sixth Amendment, a criminal defendant has the right to self-representation along with the right to the assistance of counsel.” Id. (internal quotation omitted). Once invoked, a defendant’s right to self-representation “is not -6- absolute.” Id. (quotation omitted). Whether the defendant’s waiver of his right to counsel is adequate “depends on the particular facts and circumstances of each case, including the background, experience, and conduct of the accused.” Id. (quotation omitted). To invoke his right to represent himself, the defendant must knowingly and intelligently forgo the benefits of counsel. Id.; Faretta, 422 U.S. at 835. The trial court must “rigorously convey warnings of the pitfalls of proceeding to trial without counsel,” so the record will show the defendant “knows what he is doing and his choice is made with eyes open.” Tschacher, 687 F.3d at 931 (quotations and alterations omitted). The court must be satisfied that the defendant’s waiver of counsel is voluntary and knowing. Id. However, “the competence that is required of a defendant seeking to waive his right to counsel is the competence to waive the right, not the competence to represent himself.” Id. (emphasis in original) (quotation omitted). A defendant’s choice to waive counsel and proceed pro se “must be honored, even though the defendant may conduct his own defense to his detriment by relinquishing the benefits associated with the right to counsel.” Id. (quotation and alterations omitted). Our review of the record leads us to conclude that the district court did not err by not conducting a third Faretta inquiry. Miller had the benefit of two prior hearings, the last one occurring just five weeks before trial. During both hearings, the pitfalls of self-representation were rigorously conveyed to Miller, and the court was satisfied that his election to proceed pro se was knowing and voluntary under all the circumstances. See Tschacher, 687 F.3d at 932 (“The district court warned Tschacher that this was a ‘horrible mistake’ and asked him ‘seriously to reconsider [his] decision to represent [himself].’”); United States v. Turner, 644 F.3d 713, 722 (8th Cir. 2011). -7- Miller argues the district court should have discussed with him the knowledge element of his charges and possible defenses. However, we have “rejected the idea that a valid waiver of the right to counsel must invariably be accompanied by specific warnings about the range of possible punishments, possible defenses, and lesser included offenses.” Tschacher, 687 F.3d at 932 (quoting another source) (citing United States v. Kiderlen, 569 F.3d 358, 364, 366-67 (8th Cir. 2009) (noting that the “key inquiry” is “whether the accused was made sufficiently aware of his right to have counsel and of the possible consequences of a decision to forgo the aid of counsel.”)). “Neither the Supreme Court nor this court has ever adopted a list of essential points that must be conveyed to a defendant in order for a waiver of counsel to be deemed knowing and voluntary.” Id. (alteration omitted); Turner, 644 F.3d at 722; Kiderlen, 569 F.3d at 366-67. We decline to do so here. Further, Miller’s statements during closing argument merely revealed flaws in his self-representation, rather than changed circumstances necessitating another Faretta inquiry. The district court offered Miller the opportunity to reopen his case and present evidence about the accountant, but he declined to do so. Miller’s failure to present evidence in his defense does not invalidate his voluntary election to represent himself. Tschacher, 687 F.3d at 931 (“A defendant’s choice to proceed pro se ‘must be honored,’ ‘[e]ven though [the] defendant may conduct his own defense to his detriment by relinquishing the benefits associated with the right to counsel.’”) (quotation omitted); United States v. Ladoucer, 573 F.3d 628, 634 (8th Cir. 2009) (“Thus, while it is clear that [defendant] performed poorly in representing himself, his performance at trial has no bearing on our conclusion that his waiver of counsel was voluntary, intelligent and knowing.”). Instead, “[t]his court upholds the grant of a defendant’s motion to represent himself ‘if the record shows either that the court adequately warned him or that, under all the circumstances, he knew and understood the dangers and disadvantages of self-representation.’” Turner, 644 F.3d at 722 (quoting Kiderlen, 569 F.3d at 364). Upon review, we hold that this record clearly shows both. The district court did not err. -8-