Opinion ID: 1215322
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Effect of Defendant's Concurrence in the Appointment of Counsel

Text: (8) The People claim that Hanson was essentially a retained attorney because defendant specifically requested Hanson's assistance and thus defendant had the services of his counsel of choice. Consequently, they assert any conflict raised by the representation must be weighed against defendant's right to counsel of choice. (See Maxwell, supra, 30 Cal.3d at pp. 612-613.) The situation in this case was not the equivalent, however, of that in Maxwell. There, the defendant both selected and paid his own counsel. The latter fact is the crux of the definition of retained. Here, defendant's counsel was appointed and paid for by the state. Because counsel was provided by the state, the trial court was not required to appoint Hanson, even though he was the attorney whose services defendant preferred. ( Drumgo v. Superior Court (1973) 8 Cal.3d 930, 934 [106 Cal. Rptr. 631, 506 P.2d 1007, 66 A.L.R.3d 984].) This rule holds true regardless of whether the requested attorney is a particular public defender or, as here, a private assigned counsel. Failure to appoint the attorney desired by a defendant is not interference with the right to counsel of choice. Conversely, the fact that a defendant is pleased with counsel appointed for him by a court does not transform his attorney into retained counsel. Because Hanson was not retained counsel, the special considerations that must be taken into account when a court contemplates the removal (over objection) of a retained attorney because of a conflict do not come into play here. We conclude Hanson's simultaneous representation of defendant and Plankington resulted in an actual conflict of interest, and that Hanson's performance was adversely affected by that conflict. We further conclude that the conflict was not knowingly and intelligently waived. Accordingly, the penalty judgment must be reversed. We discuss the following issue for guidance at retrial.