Opinion ID: 2180953
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 18

Heading: Defendant's Withdrawal from Trial Proceedings

Text: Due to his purported unpreparedness to proceed with the trial, the defendant moved to withdraw from the trial proceedings. After assuring the court that he understood the consequences and pitfalls of his decision to withdraw, the defendant alerted his assisting counsel to remain and raise appropriate objections for purposes of appeal. The court granted his request, and the defendant removed himself from the courtroom for the remainder of the trial. The defendant contends that his withdrawal was involuntary; thus he was denied his constitutional right to appear at every stage of the proceedings. He analogizes his position to that of the defendant in Simmons v. United States (1968), 390 U.S. 377, 88 S.Ct. 967, 19 L.Ed.2d 1247, wherein the Supreme Court found it intolerable that one constitutional right should have to be surrendered in order to assert another. In the instant case, the defendant asserts that he was placed in a position of untenable tension between his constitutional rights. The thrust of his argument seems to be that he surrendered his right to be present at trial because of his inability to competently represent himself and receive a fair trial. Thus, he concludes that his withdrawal cannot be considered voluntary in the constitutional sense. Specifically, the defendant states that he involuntarily waived his right to confront his accusers, his right to present evidence on his own behalf, and his right to counsel. A defendant who chooses to exercise his right to proceed pro se must accept the burden and hazards incidental to his position. Jenkins v. State (1986), Ind., 492 N.E.2d 666; Engle v. State (1984), Ind., 467 N.E.2d 712. The defendant was afforded every reasonable safeguard for the protection of his constitutional rights. He was provided adequate opportunity to prepare and present a defense but voluntarily elected to embark on a course distinctively marked by his own dilatory tactics and unproductive procedures. His alleged unpreparedness was self-inflicted and appears to be no more than a vain attempt to acquire another continuance. The defendant articulated a clear understanding and an unequivocal waiver of his constitutional rights. Following the defendant's withdrawal from the proceedings, the defendant's assisting counsel actively participated in the trial by making objections, motions and stipulations. The record simply does not support the defendant's claim of involuntariness or his allegations of unfairness. [1] The defendant urges that he never waived his right to be present during the habitual offender phase of the trial; thus, the resulting enhancement of his sentence was in violation of his right to be present at that separate critical stage of the proceedings. Although the record does not show a waiver expressly directed to the habitual offender phase of the trial, such a waiver must be inferred from the defendant's voluntary withdrawal from further proceedings. There is no question that the defendant was aware that he was charged as a habitual offender and that the determination would be made in a bifurcated proceeding commencing immediately after the conclusion of the guilt phase. The defendant was specifically advised that if he withdrew from the trial, he would be transported back to jail and the trial would proceed without him. There is no indication that the defendant ever sought to withdraw his waiver of his right to be present. We reject the defendant's argument and hold that the record adequately establishes that the defendant intelligently and voluntarily waived his right to be present at both phases of the trial.