Opinion ID: 1655102
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Anders Framework

Text: In 1967, the United States Supreme Court decided Anders and held that counsel appointed to represent an indigent criminal defendant could not withdraw from representation during the appeal by merely advising the appellate court in a letter that the appeal had no merit. See 386 U.S. at 744, 87 S.Ct. 1396. The Anders case was part of a continuing line of cases [that had] reached [the United States Supreme] Court concerning discrimination against the indigent [criminal] defendant on ... first appeal. Id. at 741, 87 S.Ct. 1396. In order to protect the indigent criminal defendant's right to appellate counsel established in Douglas v. California, 372 U.S. 353, 357-58, 83 S.Ct. 814, 9 L.Ed.2d 811 (1963), the Supreme Court set forth a procedure to be used in those cases where appointed counsel determines an appeal to be wholly frivolous: [3] [I]f counsel finds his case to be wholly frivolous, after a conscientious examination of it, he should so advise the court and request permission to withdraw. That request must, however, be accompanied by a brief referring to anything in the record that might arguably support the appeal. A copy of counsel's brief should be furnished the indigent and time allowed him to raise any points that he chooses; the courtnot counselthen proceeds, after a full examination of all the proceedings, to decide whether the case is wholly frivolous. If it so finds it may grant counsel's request to withdraw and dismiss the appeal insofar as federal requirements are concerned, or proceed to a decision on the merits, if state law so requires. On the other hand, if it finds any of the legal points arguable on their merits (and therefore not frivolous) it must, prior to decision, afford the indigent the assistance of counsel to argue the appeal. Anders, 386 U.S. at 744, 87 S.Ct. 1396 (emphasis supplied). In 1971, this Court adopted the precise procedure set forth in the original Supreme Court opinion in Anders for criminal appeals in this state. See State v. Wooden, 246 So.2d 755, 757-58 (Fla.1971), abrogated on other grounds, State v. District Court of Appeal, 569 So.2d 439, 442 (Fla.1990); see also In re Anders Briefs, 581 So.2d 149 (Fla.1991). The Supreme Court has since clarified that the procedure set forth in Anders is merely one method of satisfying the requirements of the Constitution for indigent criminal appeals. Smith v. Robbins, 528 U.S. 259, 276, 120 S.Ct. 746, 145 L.Ed.2d 756 (2000). Although this Court has not yet reevaluated its current Anders procedures in light of Smith, this Court recently extended the use of the Anders procedure to appeals of involuntary civil commitment to a mental health facility where an individual's physical liberty is at stake. See Pullen v. State, 802 So.2d 1113, 1120 (Fla.2001). The issue now before us is whether this Court should mandate Anders procedures in termination of parental rights appeals, which would require the appellate court to conduct an independent review of the record in cases where appointed counsel has concluded that an appeal would be frivolous.