Opinion ID: 487837
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the hybrid representation claim and comment by the court

Text: 44 Bowles argues that the district court's refusal to permit him to retain his attorney in an advisory capacity during closing argument constituted reversible error under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments and contributed to his amateurish performance. 45 It is the law of this circuit that the right to counsel and the right to proceed pro se exist in the alternative and the decision to permit a defendant to proceed in a hybrid fashion rests in the sound discretion of the trial court. United States v. Mills, 704 F.2d 1553, 1557 (11th Cir.1983); United States v. Daniels, 572 F.2d 535, 540 (5th Cir.1978). Where hybrid representation is denied, and the defendant elects to proceed pro se, it is the duty of the reviewing court to make sure that the choice was made knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily. United States v. Shea, 508 F.2d 82, 86 (5th Cir.1975). In Mills, the defendant argued that the district court abused its discretion in failing to allow hybrid representation during the trial where the discovery phase and all pretrial hearings had been conducted with hybrid representation. He argued that the court's delayed ruling on his request to proceed with a hybrid defense encouraged him to rely on the likelihood of a hybrid defense, and that his election to proceed pro se deprived him of the insights he might have had had he conducted his own discovery or his attorney had been beside him at counsel table. The court held that, regardless of the tactical advantages of hybrid representation, the district court's refusal to permit it did not constitute reversible error where the court made substantial accommodations to assist the defendant in pro se defense. 46 The record clearly reflects painstaking effort on the part of the court to inform Bowles of the pitfalls of self-representation, and to discourage him from doing so. The court explicitly advised both attorney and client as to the ramifications to this decision. Upon his announcement that his client wished to proceed pro se and retain advisory counsel, the court informed Bowles' attorney that his client's decision was tantamount to a waiver of his right to counsel and that the court would not permit Bowles to proceed pro se as long as he was represented by counsel. The court addressed Bowles personally after his attorney informed the court that Bowles would discharge him if hybrid representation was not allowed and thereafter advised Bowles on more than one occasion as to the permissible limits of closing argument and the prohibition against arguing facts not in evidence. The court expressly informed Bowles that his lawyer would be discharged and unable to advise him. Transcript at 1444-46. At the request of Bowles' counsel, the court permitted Bowles and his attorney to confer overnight and did not require Bowles to announce his final decision until the following morning. Bowles subsequently announced his decision to proceed pro se the next day. 47 Clearly, Bowles' decision to proceed pro se was made with full knowledge of the foolhardiness that accompanied it. The fact that the denial of hybrid representation may have contributed to, by creating the opportunity for, Bowles' amateurish performance and the court's need to give cautionary instructions does not indicate abuse of discretion in denying the request here, as the district judge adequately assisted Bowles in his pro se effort. It is apparent that having counsel available would have required the trial judge to subject the jury to frequent interminable pauses in the summation while Bowles spoke with unofficial counsel to receive the same advice that the court gave without protracted delays in the summation. Moreover, it has been held that where a defendant is properly permitted to appear pro se, his lack of legal expertise is not a basis for reversal. United States v. Weninger, 624 F.2d 163 (10th Cir.1980). 48 Bowles' final point is that the district court directly commented on his right to silence during his closing argument and therefore committed reversible error by giving the cautionary instruction also complained of by LaChance. 8 49 The court simply told the jury that having elected to exercise his right not to take the stand, Bowles could not take advantage of his opportunity to make his own closing argument to introduce evidence not subject to cross-examination. Any lingering possibility that the jury might regard the court's comment as adversely reflecting upon Bowles' silence was dissipated completely by the clear admonition in the court's closing instruction that if a defendant elects not to testify, you should not consider that in any way during your deliberations. Transcript at 1680. Accordingly, we find no basis for reversing Bowles' conviction on this ground. 50 WE AFFIRM.