Opinion ID: 1517574
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Ruling on Continuance and the Claim of Deprivation of Counsel

Text: Appellant argues that the trial court abused its discretion in failing to grant a continuance of sufficient duration to allow his counsel to prepare for trial. He contends that the trial court's failure to grant a longer continuance interfered with his Sixth Amendment right to counsel. The duty of the court to assure that the accused's right to counsel is protected is not discharged by an assignment [of counsel] at such a time or under such circumstances as to preclude the giving of effective aid in the preparation and trial of the case. Powell, supra, 287 U.S. at 71, 53 S.Ct. 55. Thus, the trial judge may not insist on such expeditiousness that counsel for the defendant lacks a reasonable time to prepare for trial; stripping away the opportunity to prepare for trial is tantamount to denying altogether the assistance of counsel for the defense. United States v. Burton, 189 U.S.App.D.C. 327, 331, 584 F.2d 485, 489 (1978). That is essentially appellant's argument here. Appellant acknowledges that the grant or denial of a continuance is a matter within the trial court's discretion, which is not subject to reversal absent an abuse of discretion. See id.; Welch v. United States, 689 A.2d 1, 5 (D.C.1996); see also Morris v. Slappy, 461 U.S. 1, 11, 103 S.Ct. 1610, 75 L.Ed.2d 610 (1983). In considering whether the trial court has properly exercised its discretion, we consider, among other factors, whether the trial court considered relevant factors, or relied upon improper factors, and whether the reasons for its actions are reasonably supported. Johnson v. United States, 398 A.2d 354, 365 (D.C.1979). In the context here, the reasonableness of the length of a continuance allowed for trial preparation depends upon the circumstances. Among the factors for consideration are: the length of the requested delay; whether other continuances have been requested and granted; the balanced convenience or inconvenience to the litigants, witnesses, counsel, and the court; whether the requested delay is for legitimate reasons, or whether it is dilatory, purposeful, or contrived; whether the defendant contributed to the circumstance which gives rise to the request for a continuance; whether the defendant has other competent counsel prepared to try the case, including the consideration of whether the other counsel was retained as lead or associate counsel; whether denying the continuance will result in identifiable prejudice to defendant's case, and if so, whether this prejudice is of a material or substantial nature; the complexity of the case; and other relevant factors which may appear in the context of any particular case. Burton, 189 U.S.App.D.C. at 332-33, 584 F.2d at 491 (footnotes and citations omitted). It is not apparent that the trial court considered anything in this case other than the demands of the criminal docket. An examination of the relevant considerations, which are outlined in Burton, weigh heavily in favor of a longer continuance than the trial court granted. Appellant found himself in circumstances not of his own making. He retained his initial counsel and had nothing to do with that attorney's suspension from the practice of law such that he could no longer represent him. The government had sought and received a continuance previously at a time when initial counsel could have proceeded. There is no showing that with sufficient notice, a convenient date for the trial could not have been secured without substantial prejudice to the government. While new counsel was available to try the case, it was reasonable under the circumstances to allow him more time to prepare for this first-degree murder trial and no reason not to allow it, except that there was no available date in December for trial. The trial court failed to take into account other relevant factors and balance them against its desire to control its docket and have the case proceed to trial expeditiously. Therefore, we conclude that the trial court exercised its discretion erroneously in denying a continuance of more reasonable duration under the circumstances. See Johnson, supra, 398 A.2d at 365 (failure to consider relevant factors may result in erroneous exercise of discretion). [A] myopic insistence upon expeditiousness in the face of a justifiable request for delay can render the right to defend with counsel an empty formality. Burton, supra, 189 U.S.App.D.C. at 333, 584 F.2d at 491 (quoting Ungar v. Sarafite, 376 U.S. 575, 589, 84 S.Ct. 841, 11 L.Ed.2d 921 (1964)). Because not every denial of a request for additional time for preparation will result in a denial of due process and require reversal, id. (citing Ungar, supra, 376 U.S. at 589, 84 S.Ct. 841), we are obliged to consider several aspects of the denial of continuance in this instance.
The Supreme Court, in United States v. Cronic, 466 U.S. 648, 104 S.Ct. 2039, 80 L.Ed.2d 657 (1984), addressed this question at length. It declined a formulaic approach, but instead offered a broad litmus: a reviewing court should consider whether counsel representing an accused, was enabled to act as an advocate throughout the process so as to engage in meaningful adversarial testing of the prosecution's case. Failing in that, the constitutional protection is lost. Id. at 656-57, 104 S.Ct. 2039. In one category of cases the court perceived circumstances of a magnitude where there would be an actual breakdown of the adversarial process. Id. at 657, 104 S.Ct. 2039. In those situations a court may presume counsel's ineffectiveness because circumstances are so likely to prejudice the accused that the cost of litigating their effect in a particular case is unjustified. Id. at 658, 104 S.Ct. 2039. However, the court recognized that every refusal to postpone a criminal trial will not give rise to such a presumption. Id. at 661, 104 S.Ct. 2039. In instances where no presumption is invoked, greater attention is given to counsel's performance during the actual trial of the case. In that posture, the two-pronged test announced in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984), is applied. ( Strickland was decided on the same day as Cronic. ) In assessing what magnitude of circumstances destroys the adversarial balance so as to trigger a presumption of ineffective counsel, the circumstances may be varied and different. There is no per se rule. See Chambers v. Maroney, 399 U.S. 42, 54, 90 S.Ct. 1975, 26 L.Ed.2d 419 (1970). A most obvious case for invoking the presumption is the complete denial of counsel. Cronic, supra, 466 U.S. at 659, 104 S.Ct. 2039. The refusal to allow counsel to engage in cross-examination is similarly defective. Davis v. Alaska, 415 U.S. 308, 94 S.Ct. 1105, 39 L.Ed.2d 347 (1974). In Powell, a trial judge appointed all members of the bar to represent nine defendants at arraignment in a capital offense. 287 U.S. at 45, 53 S.Ct. 55. A few days later  the trial date  a lawyer from another state appeared in court to inquire about the cases. The trial judge appointed the lawyer to represent the defendants and immediately initiated trial proceedings. In a hostile setting, involving clients who were not literate, the Supreme Court held that [u]nder the circumstances ... [the] defendants were not accorded the right of counsel in any substantial sense. Id. at 58, 53 S.Ct. 55. See also Brown v. Mississippi, 297 U.S. 278, 56 S.Ct. 461, 80 L.Ed. 682 (1936). In Avery v. Alabama, 308 U.S. 444, 60 S.Ct. 321, 84 L.Ed. 377 (1940), the accused was tried in a capital case within a few days after arraignment. Despite the requests of two local practicing attorneys for a continuance, the trial went forward. On appeal the conviction was affirmed; the court referred to the rural jurisdiction in question, and noted that counsel had had access to witnesses and were able to inform themselves in order to adequately defend. Id. at 450, 60 S.Ct. 321. The circumstances in which ineffective assistance of counsel may be presumed without inquiry into counsel's performance are exceptional. The presumption is available when although counsel is available to assist the accused during trial, the likelihood that any lawyer, even a fully competent one, could provide effective assistance is so small that a presumption of prejudice is appropriate without inquiry into the actual conduct of the trial. Cronic, supra, 466 U.S. at 659-60, 104 S.Ct. 2039. While it would be extremely difficult, we are not persuaded that competent counsel could not render effective assistance with a few days of concentrated preparation where prior counsel had investigated the case and made his files available to successor counsel, at least not to the extent that a presumption of ineffectiveness would be justified. See id. at 660-62, 104 S.Ct. 2039. Appellant's trial attorney was experienced in defending persons charged with criminal offenses. He was acquainted with local practice and procedures. Notwithstanding an intense time pressure, he utilized available resources to prepare. He studied existing investigative files. He personally interviewed potential witnesses and took full advantage of discovery from the government. Ultimately counsel had access to the significant evidence in the case. He therefore was able to consult with his client and weigh the government's case and possible defenses. While it is a serious aspect of this case that the judicial ruling as to continuance provoked a legitimate constitutional concern, we conclude that despite all that occurred, trial counsel was able to prepare adequately for trial in a meaningful way. We, therefore, reject the argument that appellant's counsel's preparation was presumptively deficient, making inquiry into actual prejudice unnecessary.
As the Court made clear in Cronic where no presumptive deficiency of ineffective counsel is invoked, we review counsel's actual performance at trial, utilizing the standards set forth in Strickland, supra . In this instance, we find no basis to conclude that trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance. In ruling on appellant's § 23-110 motion, Judge Long made an extended effort to probe counsel's performance. She virtually reconstructed the trial proceedings. In the course of a prolonged hearing, she heard the testimony of a number of witnesses. She was aware of factual questions which arose at trial. She gave particular attention to trial counsel's preparation and presentation of appellant's defense, including cross-examination of adverse witnesses. Her conclusion was that, notwithstanding the time constraints which existed, counsel mounted a defense which was both vigorous and adequate. She further concluded that even if counsel's performance was to be deemed deficient as to matters claimed by appellant, there was no basis, under Strickland, to conclude that the jury's verdict would have been different. In rulings of this kind, the trial judge, especially when he or she is obliged to conduct a hearing, is called upon to resolve questions of law and fact. Our scope of review is two-fold. As to factual findings, as here, we consider with some deference, whether the findings are supported by the evidence presented. However, we consider de novo whether the trial court erred as to its legal conclusions. Derrington v. United States, 681 A.2d 1125, 1132 (D.C.1996) (citation omitted). Judge Long's comprehensive order contains specific findings regarding counsel's investigation, preparation and trial performance. [9] The record supports these findings. Similarly, we perceive no error in her legal conclusion that appellant has failed to meet both prongs of the Strickland test. Thus we conclude that the trial judge did not err in this critical aspect of the case.
Lastly, we consider whether the trial court's denial of a continuance resulted in substantial prejudice to appellant, independent of Cronic, with the government having the burden of persuasion on the issue. See Burton, supra . Although Judge Long, in the collateral attack proceeding, correctly viewed the conduct of the trial through the lens of appellant's Sixth Amendment claim of ineffective assistance of counsel (rather than examining the effect of an erroneous denial of a continuance), her analysis and findings demonstrate why, in our view, it would be bare speculation to conclude that with additional time to prepare Mr. O'Bryant's chances of winning acquittal would have improved significantly. Judge Long carefully examined the evidence presented by the government, the defense actually mounted by Mr. O'Bryant, and alternative defenses (or alternative support for the chosen defense) that might have been presented with additional time. As she pointed out, the prosecution produced a strong case that included eyewitness testimony and various admissions of the defendant, as well as palmprint and fingerprint evidence that placed appellant inside the home where the stabbing took place. Moreover, in preparing appellant's defense of partial alibi, O'Bryant had received no fewer than three versions from appellant of what happened on the morning of the murder, including his insistence that he had never been at the decedent's home at all ... until ... confronted with the government evidence that he indeed had been inside the home. Judge Long heard testimony from the additional alibi witnesses appellant contends should have been called, and concluded that they would not have made a difference in the outcome of the trial, either because their accounts contained significant inconsistencies inter se (as well as conflicting with appellant's own statements to the police), because they could not account for appellant's whereabouts at the relevant time, or because in the case of one witness, calling her as a witness might well have elicited the fact that appellant admitted the killing to her. Indeed, notes of an investigator hired by the defense disclosed that appellant had admitted the stabbing to four persons. The record developed before Judge Long and our review of the trial record thus reveal no manner in which O'Bryant, given additional time, could have more effectively attacked the government's formidable evidence or buttressed an alibi defense contradicted by the forensic evidence and weakened by the inconsistencies and plain incredibility (as the judge found) of one or more of the witnesses supporting it. We are not persuaded, in sum, that the failure to grant a longer continuance had a substantial and injurious effect or influence in determining the jury's verdict. Kotteakos v. United States, 328 U.S. 750, 776, 66 S.Ct. 1239, 90 L.Ed. 1557 (1946). [10] Affirmed.