Opinion ID: 2332947
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Count IVWiley/Bar Association

Text: ¶ 18 Latimer represented Kendall DeJuan Wiley from February 12, 2007 until February 17, 2009 on charges of burglary, rape, and rape by instrumentation. At trial, the jury found Wiley guilty on all counts recommending life imprisonment plus forty-seven (47) years. The judgment and sentence were entered on July 20, 2007. Wiley was represented in his appeal before the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals (Criminal Appeals Court) by court-appointed appellate counsel who was successful in having the cause reversed and remanded on grounds of ineffective assistance of counsel. ¶ 19 Latimer's conduct at trial is described in Wiley v. State, 2008 OK CR 30, ¶ 6, 199 P.3d 877 providing in pertinent part: ... In this case, Appellant's retained counsel provided little representation, much less the minimal effective assistance required by the Sixth Amendment. Based upon the record, counsel's conduct clearly fell below that expected of a reasonably competent defense attorney and Appellant has shown there is a reasonable probability that but for counsel's unreasonable representation, the result of the trial would have been different. Due to defense counsel's obvious unpreparedness, his failure to comply with discovery requirements, to have the DNA independently tested, to know the names of his witnesses, to interview all alibi witnesses, to know the proper sentencing range for one of the charged crimes, and his abrupt conclusion of voir dire, despite advice from the trial judge not to pursue that course of conduct, the prosecution's case was not subject to meaningful adversarial testing.... Counsel's conduct in this case so undermined the proper functioning of the adversarial process that the trial cannot be relied upon as having produced a just result. [Emphasis supplied.] ¶ 20 The Bar Association opened a grievance based on the Criminal Court's opinion on February 17, 2009. Latimer was sent two requests for responses to the allegations of the complaint which were not answered. When a letter was received from the attorney on May 1, 2009, it was not responsive to the allegations of misconduct. The facts surrounding the complaint are deemed admitted. The respondent is subject to discipline, his actions violate Rules 1.1, 1.3, and 8.4(a)(d), Rules Governing Disciplinary proceedings, 5 O.S. Supp.2008 Ch. 1, App. 3-A, and Rules 1.3 and 5.2, Rules Governing Professional Conduct, 5 O.S.2001, Ch.1, App. 1-A.