Opinion ID: 1551293
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Unsustainable Exercise of Discretion

Text: The defendant's fallback argument is that even if no absolute right to counsel exists, trial courts have discretion to appoint counsel on a motion for new trial, and that by not doing so in this case, the trial court committed an unsustainable exercise of discretion. We agree that a trial court has discretion to appoint counsel. In Duval v. Duval, 114 N.H. at 426, we held that the State Constitution does not guarantee an automatic right to counsel in civil contempt proceedings. We recognized, however, that the trial court may in its discretion appoint counsel in complicated cases. Id. at 427; see Cook, 125 N.H. at 400. Complicating factors include the capability of a defendant to speak for himself, the character of the proceeding, the complexity of the issues, and circumstances which show that the defendant would be treated unfairly if the assistance of counsel were not provided. See Duval, at 114 N.H. 426-27. While Duval involved a civil contempt proceeding, the reasoning applies to a motion for a new trial, as both types of proceedings involve a potential or ongoing restriction of one's liberty. Thus, the trial court may, in its discretion, appoint counsel to assist the defendant in making a motion for a new trial. Because the trial court denied the defendant's motion to appoint counsel without a hearing or an explanation, we are unable to determine whether it did so because it concluded that the defendant had no constitutional right to counsel, or if the court, in its discretion, concluded that the Duval factors did not require the appointment of counsel. Thus, we remand the case for application of the discretionary factors announced in this opinion. Vacated and remanded.