Opinion ID: 2542958
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Financial Inquiry

Text: Having determined that the Alengis had an intelligent understanding of the consequences of failing to obtain counsel, we now address whether the trial court was obligated to probe further into the Alengis' financial situation, notwithstanding their representations that they neither needed nor qualified for a court-appointed attorney. The Alengis contend King v. People, 728 P.2d 1264 (Colo.1986), compels a finding that the trial court did not engage in a sufficiently detailed inquiry into their financial affairs to determine eligibility for court-appointed counsel. In support, the Alengis point to language in King directing trial courts to make a careful inquiry about the defendant's financial condition, the defendant's understanding of his right to counsel, and his desires regarding legal representation. Id. at 1270. The holding in King, however, need not and should not be extended as the Alengis urge. In King, the defendant expressed a desire to obtain representation from the public defenders' office and submitted papers to that office immediately before trial. Id. at 1266. Although the defendant believed the public defender would enter an appearance by phone, the public defender failed to appear. Id. at 1276. Significantly, the defendant acknowledged he did not have the financial means to secure the attorney he had originally sought, which led him to contact the public defender, but nevertheless the court forced him to trial pro se without any advisement as to his rights as a criminal defendant. Id. King's central tenetthat a criminal defendant must be adequately apprised of the constitutionally-guaranteed right to counselin no way imposes on a trial court the duty to delve into the financial affairs of one accused of a crime, particularly in the face of a defendant's affirmative representations that he or she does not need court-appointed counsel. Only when a defendant, as in King, states that he or she cannot afford counsel or would like the court to appoint an attorney is a court then required to make a careful financial inquiry to determine eligibility for court-appointed counsel. United States v. Martin-Trigona, 684 F.2d 485, 490 (7th Cir.1982). Such a rule comports with case law, statutes, and other directives that place the burden of raising the issue of indigency for purposes of appointment of counsel squarely on the defendant. Nikander, 711 P.2d at 1262; § 21-1-103(3), C.R.S. (2006) (outlining a procedure whereby determination of indigence is reviewed by the trial court after a decision is made by the state public defender based on the submission of an appropriate application by the defendant); Chief Justice Directive, Appointment of State-Funded Counsel in Criminal and Juvenile Delinquency Cases, 04-04 (2006) (placing the onus on the defendant to complete the necessary application before the court considers indigency); Crim. P. 44(a) (obliging a trial court to inquire into a defendant's financial situation only upon submission of the defendant's affidavit or sworn testimony and other investigation). Indeed, Allen v. People, 157 Colo. 582, 404 P.2d 266 (1965), and People v. Litsey, 192 Colo. 19, 555 P.2d 974 (1976), more closely parallel the facts presented here and outline the concomitant obligations imposed on a trial court in such a situation. In Litsey, this court did not require a financial inquiry before finding a valid waiver of counsel. The defendant began the proceedings with a public defender and then retained a private attorney, whom he later discharged. Id. at 23, 555 P.2d at 977. He informed the court during his advisement that he was not indigent and did not require appointed counsel, so the court gave him twelve days to retain an attorney, warning that if counsel had not entered an appearance within that time the court would require him to proceed pro se. Id. The defendant made no attempt to hire counsel and appeared pro se at trial. This court concluded the trial court properly construed the defendant's conduct as waiver and upheld the conviction. Id. Likewise, in Allen, the defendant appeared pro se before the court. 157 Colo. at 584-85, 404 P.2d at 268. During his advisement, he asserted he did not want an attorney because of the expense. The trial court found him ineligible for court appointed counsel, and it warned him he would be deemed to have waived his right to counsel should he fail to hire an attorney. Id. at 586-87, 404 P.2d at 268-69. On appeal, the defendant argued his financial circumstances had changed since his advisement and thus the trial court should have made further inquiry prior to trial. Id. at 589, 404 P.2d at 270. This court rejected a continuing duty by the trial court to investigate a defendant's financial resources following an initial declaration by the defendant himself that he was not entitled to appointed counsel. Id. at 591, 404 P.2d at 271. Our holding in Arguello requires nothing different. An Arguello advisement calls for the trial court to instruct the defendant as to his or her rights at trial, thereby ensuring that any waiver of these rights is done knowingly and intelligently, fully apprised of the consequences. 772 P.2d at 94-95. Included in an Arguello advisement is an instruction to the defendant regarding the right to counsel and the court's obligation to appoint counsel if the defendant cannot afford to retain an attorney. Id. at 98. But it remains the defendant's obligation, at a minimum, to notify the court that he or she cannot afford to retain counsel before the court's duty to inquire further is triggered. In the case before us today, the court twice asked the Alengis during their Arguello advisement whether they knew the court would appoint counsel for them if they could not afford to hire counsel on their own. They replied that they did. Later, the court asked the Alengis if they were requesting the court appoint counsel for them, and Ms. Alengi replied that they were not. Finally, the court asked the Alengis to confirm that they were not entitled to court appointed counsel. Ms. Alengi responded, That's correct, and Mr. Alengi nodded his head in agreement. Notably, the trial court did not assess the Alengis' statements in a vacuum. Prior to their attorneys' withdrawal, the Alengis appeared before the court with retained counsel for more than a year. During the hearing for withdrawal, counsel for the Alengis told the court that they had provided the Alengis with indigency forms to obtain an investigator at state expense, but the Alengis never completed those forms. And after that time, the Alengis appeared before the court on five separate occasions prior to the motions hearing. At each appearance, the Alengis pledged that they were making efforts to retain counsel, and they insisted they could promptly convert their assets into cash in order to secure representation. Under these facts, the court had sufficient evidence to conclude it need not second guess the Alengis' representations that they were ineligible for court-appointed counsel.