Opinion ID: 1127405
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Denial of Motions to Withdraw

Text: (10) Defendant asserts that his right to the effective assistance of counsel under the federal and state Constitutions was violated when the trial court denied two motions to withdraw filed by defense counsel Toton and Frank. The first motion was filed on the ground that defendant refused to follow their advice by speaking with newsman Trihey and discussing the Bocanegra murders. In denying the motion, the court asked defendant if he felt he could continue to work with counsel. The court told defendant: You've got a little say in it. Whatever you've done, if it's damaged your case, it's damaged your case; if it hasn't damaged your case, it hasn't. What's done is done. And it really comes down to a question now and again whatever has been done, whatever has been said is going to be there whether you have these attorneys or another attorney or attorneys appointed to represent you. The court then told defendant it would not relieve counsel from the case unless defendant told the court he no longer trusted them. Defendant replied: There is a little bit of mistrust there, but, you know, I'm willing to stay with them, but if they want out, you know, I won't stop them. The court thereafter denied the motion to withdraw, informing counsel that it had the highest regard for both attorneys, but whatever defendant had done has happened and any attorney on the case is going to have to live with that. Two months later, following an article published in the Bakersfield Californian in which Trihey wrote that defendant told him he was a triple killer who deserves to die for his crimes, Frank filed a second motion to withdraw on the ground that his continued representation of defendant would require the proffering of perjured testimony, resulting in violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Toton joined the motion, and the court again denied it on the ground that trial was to begin shortly thereafter. Defendant claims that the court's failure to grant both motions was an abuse of discretion that led counsel to submit the guilt phase on the preliminary hearing transcripts and resulted in a complete breakdown in the attorney-client relationship. The determination whether to grant or deny a motion by an attorney to withdraw is within the sound discretion of the trial court and will be reversed on appeal only on a clear showing of abuse of discretion. ( People v. McKenzie (1983) 34 Cal.3d 616, 629 [194 Cal. Rptr. 462, 668 P.2d 769]; People v. Lucky (1988) 45 Cal.3d 259, 282 [247 Cal. Rptr. 1, 753 P.2d 1052].) We find no abuse of discretion on this record. As the People observe, implicit in the court's denial of the motions is the finding that defendant's discussion of his case with the media was not an indication of his distrust or dissatisfaction with counsel. Rather, the conduct was merely indicative of his unwavering desire to admit culpability and to atone for his crimes. Indeed, allowing counsel to withdraw would not have alleviated any prejudice to defendant caused by his contact with the press, nor does the record indicate that denying the motion to withdraw influenced defendant's desire to submit the guilt issue on the basis of the preliminary hearing transcripts. Even though counsel were dissatisfied with defendant's failure to heed their advice and not discuss the case with the media, the record shows defendant's right to counsel was not jeopardized by counsel's continuing representation. Thus, because defendant does not show that any disagreement with counsel resulted in a complete breakdown in the attorney-client relationship that jeopardized his right to a fair trial, we conclude the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying counsels' motions to withdraw. (See People v. Douglas (1990) 50 Cal.3d 468, 542 [268 Cal. Rptr. 126, 788 P.2d 640] (conc. opn. of Mosk, J.) [In reviewing denial of motion to substitute attorneys, the court focuses on the ruling itself and the record on which it is made. It does not look to subsequent matters....].)