Opinion ID: 1158794
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the necessity for a hearing on the defendant's objections to counsel in order to protect the constitutional guarantee of effective representation.

Text: The defendant's right to the effective representation of counsel necessarily imposes upon the trial judge a corollary duty to protect that right whenever its enjoyment appears to be in doubt. Upon the trial judge rests the duty of seeing that the trial is conducted with solicitude for the essential rights of the accused. Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60, 71, 62 S.Ct. 457, 465, 86 L.Ed. 680 (1942); see also Von Moltke v. Gillies, 332 U.S. 708, 722, 68 S.Ct. 316, 92 L.Ed. 309 (1948). This duty of the trial judge has been given concrete form in State v. Casey, 51 Haw. 99, 100, 451 P.2d 806, 808 (1969), a case involving the question of an accused's waiver of a constitutional right. In that case we held that the trial court must conduct a penetrating and comprehensive examination into the defendant's understanding of the nature of his action and that this examination must appear on the record. We believe that a similar duty of investigation is required when the constitutional issue of effective assistance of counsel is raised. Without an evidentiary hearing by the trial court, which establishes on the record the defendant's objections to assigned counsel, it is impossible for a reviewing court to determine whether a claim of inadequate representation is justified. See In re Petition of Scott, 44 Haw. 52, 54, 352 P.2d 629, 631 (1959). This is because the defendant's objections may be based upon allegations of counsel's lack of diligent investigation into possible defenses, in the critical pre-trial stage. [4] The prejudice to the defendant's case which results from a failure to investigate into possible defenses will not be apparent from a reading of the trial record alone. In the absence of a hearing on the matter it is impossible to ascertain what evidence should have been introduced into the record but was not. A hearing is essential in order to make a proper determination of the effectiveness of defense counsel's assistance. In the case at hand, however, the trial court did not attempt to investigate the merits, if any, of the defendant's objection to counsel. Instead of jealously guarding the defendant's right to effective representation, by holding an evidentiary hearing on the grounds for his objection, the trial judge peremptorily refused to discuss the matter. It is true that the defendant might have failed to make good his objection if he were afforded a hearing. But the question now before us is, must he fail without an opportunity to be heard? We hold that he must not. Procedural due process requires (1) that a defendant have an opportunity to state on the record the basis for his objections to appointed counsel and (2) that a determination be made by the trial court as to the merits of these objections.