Opinion ID: 10016
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Denial of Defense Counsel's Motion to Withdraw

Text: 15 The district court's denial of defense counsel's motion to withdraw is reviewed for abuse of discretion. United States v. Cole, 988 F.2d 681, 683 (7th Cir.1993); United States v. Walker, 915 F.2d 480, 482 (9th Cir.1990). 16 Wild argues that he was entitled to a hearing to determine whether his counsel was operating under a conflict of interest following Williams's motion to withdraw and Wild's expressed wish to no longer have Williams represent him. He claims that the district court's failure to hold such an evidentiary hearing was error depriving him of reasonably effective assistance of counsel. Alternatively, Wild claims he should have had new counsel appointed to him. 17 When filing a motion to withdraw, an attorney should provide a detailed explanation of the reasons why he believes that good cause exists for him to withdraw as counsel. United States v. Hall, 35 F.3d 310, 316 (7th Cir.1994). Williams's motion offered no details as to why he and Wild could no longer work together. It only made vague reference to the problem by stating that Wild insisted upon pursuing an objective Williams and his firm considered imprudent. Wild contends that this statement amounted to an admission by Williams of a conflict of interest and that the district court should have looked further into the nature of the tension between him and Williams. 18 The trial court has the discretion to require specific reasons before granting such a motion. The Seventh Circuit adopted in Cole the principle that unless there is a demonstrated conflict of interests or counsel and defendant are embroiled in an irreconcilable conflict that is so great that it resulted in a total lack of communication preventing an adequate defense, there is no abuse of discretion in denying a motion to withdraw. Cole, 988 F.2d at 683. Wild does not assert that he and Williams suffered an absolute communications breakdown. Rather, he suggests that the motion to withdraw and disagreement over the plea agreement created sufficient tension between them to preclude Williams or his law firm from providing effective assistance of counsel. 19 We disagree. Wild does not give any indication that the quality of Williams's representation lapsed in any particular way. Nor is there any indication that Williams and Wild were unable to work together in defending him at trial. As to their underlying disagreement over whether Wild should plead out, Williams did not interfere when Wild asked the trial court to reject his guilty plea. 20 In Lowenfield v. Phelps, 817 F.2d 285, 289 (5th Cir.1987), we adopted the Supreme Court's holding in United States v. Cronic, 466 U.S. 648, 104 S.Ct. 2039, 80 L.Ed.2d 657 (1984), that the determination of whether an attorney rendered effective assistance of counsel must concentrate 'on the adversarial process, not on the accused's relationship with his lawyer as such.'  Nothing that was before the district court suggested that Williams could not or would not represent Wild adequately. There was no evidence before the court that denying the motion to withdraw would jeopardize the process. Therefore, the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Williams's motion to withdraw. 21