Opinion ID: 1611086
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Hearing On Funding Issues

Text: On March 23, 2004, a hearing was held on the defense's funding motions. In attendance before Judge Canaday were Cuccia and da Ponte, Reeves' present counsel; Ware, Reeves' originally appointed counsel; Walt Sanchez, as counsel for Ware individually; and the state. After introducing himself and his co-counsel, da Ponte, to Judge Canaday, whom they had never before met, Cuccia submitted the matter to the court on the motion and the attachments which were provided to the court under seal. [23] Judge Canaday stated for the record that there had been a number of informal conferences between the court and counsel concerning the funding issue, and that the judge had made no secret of the fact that the court was contemplating taking some significant action to make some changes.... [24] After reviewing an affidavit from Ware regarding the financial standing of the Calcasieu Parish Public Defender's Office and a bank statement to which the court was privy, and reviewing the caseload and structure of the local Public Defender's Office, Judge Canaday agreed with Cuccia that ... at this time that there are not sufficient funds based on, at least, the application that was made by Defense counsel. [25] Judge Canaday emphasized that the court had not made an independent review of the expenses submitted under seal from the first trial, nor was the court ever called upon to do so in the past, because those expenses were based on an agreement between the local Public Defender's Office/Indigent Defender Board and the Capital Defense Project. [26] At this time, however, due to the fact that the prior expenses had not been paid and because funds for future expenses and fees would have to be obtained for the retrial, Judge Canaday stated his appreciation that the matter had now been brought before the court in order for the court to take on a management role in the case, i.e. ... to view specific requests and allocation of funds that its [sic] deemed appropriate under the existing case law and Constitutional guidelines. [27] Judge Canaday announced the court had indicated, previously and informally, that due to its fiduciary obligation to manage the retrial, the court was considering relieving Cuccia and da Ponte, who were counsel located in New Orleans, of any further responsibility for the defense of Reeves, due to the ability of qualified local counsel to represent Reeves for the retrial. Both Cuccia and da Ponte acknowledged their familiarity with the court's proposal. [28] For the record, Ware responded, when asked by the court, that there was no conflict whatsoever which would prevent the local Public Defender's Office from representing Reeves. [29] Judge Canaday related his understanding that, in the prior trial, the representation by Cuccia and da Ponte was based on a contractual agreement between the parish's Public Defender's Office and the Capital Defense Project. [30] Based on the motions filed by these defense counsel, and their exhibits filed under seal, the court believed that the Public Defender's Office lacked the funds to advance or to maintain the same contractual relationship the Public Defender's Office formerly had with the Capital Defense Project, especially considering the nearness of the upcoming June trial date. [31] Before making a definitive ruling, however, Judge Canaday wished to establish a record and to obtain evidence. Upon direct questioning by the court, Cuccia agreed that he had not received enough financing from the Public Defender's Office to be prepared for the June trial date. [32] Cuccia also explained that the Capital Defense Project was still owed more than $35,000 from the previous trial, and had received no assurances from the Public Defender's Office that the Capital Defense Project would receive funds in order to be ready for trial. [33] Ware told the court that the Indigent Defender Board, as of that date, maintained a balance of approximately $18,846.50 in its Capital Defense Account. [34] When the court asked Ware if Ware would be able to fund Cuccia in the same manner as Cuccia had been funded previously, to enable Cuccia to prepare for a trial currently scheduled in two and a half months, Ware responded, No, sir, your Honor. [35] Ware explained that, for the entirety of Cuccia's previous representation, Ware paid invoices when they were presented by Cuccia. Ware stated that his office had, in fact, paid Cuccia a total of $85,000 to this point, as agreed. However, Cuccia had contacted Ware's office, both in writing and orally, as described earlier, advising Ware and the Indigent Defender Board that Cuccia had an overrun of about $35,000. [36] Ware testified that he told Cuccia that the Indigent Defender Board was not in a position then or now either to reimburse the Capital Defense Project for the money it had already expended for Reeves' first trial or to fund a retrial. [37] As Ware stated: [a]nd as it stands now, we have a serious problem with funding any capital litigation in terms of a defense in any of the cases that are pending before this Court and this district. [38] Ware assured the court that the Indigent Defender Board and Public Defender's Office were very satisfied with the defense presented by the Capital Defense Project and would willingly reimburse Cuccia and fund a retrial if funds were available. [39] Aware of the district court's proposed resolution of the funding dilemma, Ware objected to replacing counsel at this time due to the on-going attorney-client relationship which the Capital Defense Project attorneys had developed with Reeves. Ware acknowledged, however, I understand all of the pitfalls and other things that are involved with this case and the other capital cases pending in this Court. [40] He candidly admitted that he did not have an easy or ready solution to the problem that was before the court. [41] Both Ware and Cuccia reiterated to the court that the Capital Defense Project was not seeking attorneys' fees for its representation of Reeves. Cuccia, on behalf of the Capital Defense Project, sought only reimbursement of expenses paid for the first trial, and included travel expenses as the only counsel expense in his estimate of retrial costs. [42] Turning to the subject of expenses, Judge Canaday observed that, without going into detail regarding the information filed under seal, he felt there had been a substantial amount of money associated with travel and associated expenses for Cuccia and his staff from Reeves' prior defense. Cuccia agreed, responding: That's correct, Your Honor. It took a lot of time and effort to travel back and forth from New Orleans here during the investigative stage of the case, and also to basically relocate the entire Defense team first to Baton Rouge for a week and then here for a week. [43] Based on the totality of the information before him, Judge Canaday concluded that sufficient funds were not available for a retrial to begin during the month of June of 2004, as previously set. [44] Since the financial situation necessitated that the trial date be moved anyway, Judge Canaday determined it was necessary to reassess and reevaluate the financial situation regarding counsel for the retrial. Judge Canaday suggested replacing existing non-local counsel with the capital-certified Ware, the local Chief Director of the Public Defender Office, and local attorney, Charles St. Dizier, as second-chair, provided he was associate-counsel certified. [45] Before doing so, however, Judge Canaday asked to hear from Sanchez, as counsel for Ware; Cuccia and da Ponte, as existing counsel; and the prosecutor. [46] Cuccia told the court that the Capital Defense Project stood ready to continue its representation of Reeves, provided the funds they requested to present a proper defense be provided sufficiently in advance of trial, as well as reimbursement of the more than $35,000 which was advanced out of the Capital Defense Project budget for the previous trial. [47] Cuccia explained that the overage from the previous trial occurred when counsel realized they would run short of money. Rather than delay the trial, and with the assurance from Ware that money would ultimately be available to reimburse him, Cuccia took upon himself the responsibility of paying those additional expenses out of his own budget rather than upset the trial date. Otherwise, Cuccia indicated he would have asked for a stay prior to the first trial, due to insufficient funds to continue. [48] Cuccia agreed with Judge Canaday that, since the Public Defender's Office had paid the previous invoices when submitted, there had been no prior application for an in camera determination whether the expert expenses of the first trial were appropriate or reasonable. [49] Da Ponte stated that her position was the same as Cuccia's with regard to this matter. [50] When asked his position, the prosecutor asserted the state's view that the matter should be brought to trial as expeditiously as possible for the sake of the victim. [51] Otherwise, the state had no comment on the issue of Reeves' counsel for the retrial. Walt Sanchez, separate counsel for Ware, objected to Ware being substituted as counsel in this case. [52] Sanchez argued that Ware could not ethically represent Reeves due to his otherwise heavy caseload, and that the re-appointment of Ware would interfere with the attorney-client relationship which Reeves had developed with the Capital Defense Project attorneys. [53] Sanchez maintained that the case could not go forward until a definite funding source was identified and that neither Ware nor the Capital Defense Project attorneys could represent Reeves until that was accomplished. According to Sanchez, there would be a violation of Peart if Ware were appointed to represent Reeves, due to his burdensome caseload as the Chief Public Defender, and there would be a violation of Wigley if the court maintained the representation of the Capital Defense Project's attorneys, because private appointed attorneys would not be assured of reimbursement of their overhead and expenses. [54] After ascertaining that counsel had no further argument, Judge Canaday reiterated ... the Court is going to take much more significant action rather than to just stay the proceedings, as previously indicated. [55] In addition to rescheduling the trial date from June 14, 2004 to October 11, 2004, and refixing motion dates in advance of the new trial date, Judge Canaday removed Cuccia and da Ponte of the Capital Defense Project as counsel for Reeves, re-appointed Ware as lead trial counsel to represent Reeves for the upcoming motions and trial, and tentatively appointed St. Dizier as second-chair associate counsel to assist Ware. [56] The court explained: The Court specifically notes that it was not involved in the original appointment and it's now become necessary to make significant decisions involved in not only the scheduling and hearing of this case but also with regard to funding matters because of situations involved with our Public Defenders' system. Mr. Ron Ware who previously was assigned to a specific division no longer has that. He now has the ability to handle high-profile cases as well as cases of his choice and would indicate that whatever priority he assesses those cases is within his own province, noting that he has a staff of felony defenders that can take many of the cases that he has been assigned in order to proceed. Him being local the hearings can be scheduled with rather short-term necessity as need be for funding issues. The Court finds that there will be significant savings, not only with the transportation and other living expenses of out of town counsel, but additional expenses that may be saved in the close monitoring and regulating of experts as dictated under the State v. Touchet jurisprudence for the State, and Ake versus that's spelled A-k-e.... Oklahoma jurisprudence. Further the Court has privy of the expenditures of the first trial and would set up conference with Defense counsel to go through and discuss those funding needs for the upcoming October date at Defense counsel's convenience. The Court has also made a decision that the Public Defenders' Office, specifically Mr. Ron Ware, has an established relationship with the defendant, and it will be easy for him to walk in and take over these proceedings from the Capital Defense Project. [57] It is this Court's position that if it is going to be called upon to secure and allocate the funding that's necessary to proceed and move this case along then it will also regulate that as the law requires. The Court makes this decision in order to move the matter for trial. It is noted that this matter needs to be moved along, that the victims have requested that the matter be moved along, that the case has already been upset on one occasion for funding. And the Court will seek and obtain the appropriate assistance if Defense counsel establishes that it is necessary so that the October date will be maintained. [58] Sanchez, on behalf of Ware, objected to the court's ruling and gave notice of his intent to seek a writ of review. [59] Ware indicated he had two additional comments which he wanted placed on the record, and which the court could consider in the nature of a request to reconsider its ruling. First, Ware stated that none of the other nine attorneys in his office had experience with defending a person accused of a crime which carried a mandatory life sentence. Consequently, he felt compelled to be involved in the trial of every case in which his office defended someone accused of a crime which carried a mandatory life sentence. Second, Ware informed the judge that the time he spends on a capital case is billed against the Capital Defense Fund Account maintained by the Indigent Defender Board, which is over and above his salary as a public defender. As Ware explained, that money would go into his office's account to fund non-capital clients. [60] Judge Canaday responded that Ware's statement about the internal accounting operations within the public defender organization were subject to its own internal ethical considerations and auditing requirements. The court did not have a comment on that aspect put forth by Ware, as long as it's not an issue that's brought before the Court. [61] Cuccia entered an objection, on behalf of Reeves, to the court's decision to remove him and da Ponte as Reeves' counsel. [62] However, Cuccia did not object to the court's ruling on his own behalf nor on the behalf of the Capital Defense Project. Similarly, da Ponte failed to object to the ruling on her own behalf or on behalf of the Capital Defense Project. Judge Canaday then informed Sanchez that he could either directly seek a writ of review from the court's ruling as it now stood, or Sanchez could submit a brief on the constitutional issue regarding the attorney-client relationship in the form of a reconsideration. If the court denied the reconsideration, then the court indicated Sanchez would be allowed time to seek review of all of the issues at once, if that was what the defense deemed appropriate. [63] Sanchez asked for a clarification of the court's ruling, for the purpose of ascertaining exactly which issues the court had ruled on, for review purposes. Judge Canaday clarified that the court would remain silent on the Peart aspect of the argument because, based on what had been presented, the court did not feel that any comment was required. [64] After being removed, Cuccia requested that the court consider his motion for reimbursement. [65] After some discussion between Cuccia, Ware, and the court, the matter was deferred to see what informal resolution could be accomplished at an Indigent Defender Board meeting scheduled for the next week. [66] Since the record is subsequently silent on the question of reimbursement of expenses for Cuccia and the Capital Defense Project, the court assumes that the matter was informally resolved with the parish Indigent Defender Board.