Opinion ID: 781796
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Faretta Claim

Text: 48 A defendant's assertion of her Sixth Amendment right of self-representation must be: (1) voluntary and intelligent; (2) timely; (3) not for the purpose of delay; and (4) unequivocal. United States v. Bishop, 291 F.3d 1100, 1114 (9th Cir.2002)., A demand for self-representation is timely if made before meaningful trial proceedings have begun. In cases involving jury trials, we have held that a request is timely if made before the jury is selected or before the jury is empaneled.... Id. (internal citation omitted). 49 McKenna conveyed interest in proceeding without counsel at only two points. First, she stated at arraignment that she preferred to represent herself rather than have counsel from the Federal Public Defender's Office appointed, because such an attorney would be part of the same government system as the prosecutor. She did not persist in seeking to represent herself after the district court explained a federal public defender's independence from the prosecutor's office. This communication, though timely, was not a knowing and unequivocal request to proceed pro se. Indeed, McKenna argues in her opening brief only that her statement that she preferred to represent herself rather than be represented by a federal public defender was timely; she does not assert that this statement was an unequivocal request to proceed pro se. After the case went to the jury, McKenna did make an unequivocal request to proceed pro se in order to re-open the evidence and submit documents her attorneys felt should not be admitted. But, as this request was untimely, the district court did not err in denying it. See, e.g., Bishop, 291 F.3d at 1114 (no error in denying Faretta request on third day of trial).