Opinion ID: 1917869
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Failure of Trial Court to Appoint Counsel to Prosecute Motion.

Text: As a further ground for reversing the order denying defendant's motion he claims denial of constitutional rights because the trial court failed to appoint counsel to represent him in prosecuting the motion. In support of this contention defendant cites Douglas v. California (1963), 372 U. S. 353, 83 Sup. Ct. 814, 9 L. Ed. (2d) 811, and Draper v. Washington (1963), 372 U. S. 487, 83 Sup. Ct. 774, 9 L. Ed. (2d) 899. Because of these decisions this court as a matter of course appoints counsel for all indigent defendants convicted of crime who within the one-year statutory period appeal to this court or request a writ of error, or who timely seek review here of any order denying a new trial or writ of error coram nobis. However, in cases of applications for writs of habeas corpus made by convicted defendants after the time for appeal or obtaining a writ of error has expired, we appoint counsel only when we find the application arguably meritorious. After careful consideration of the problem we hold that a trial court is not required to appoint counsel for every defendant convicted of crime who files a post-conviction motion, but only in those cases where the motion is arguably meritorious. Under this rule the test on review by this court will be whether the trial court abused its discretion in not appointing counsel to prosecute the motion. Applying that test to the instant appeal we find that defendant's motion was arguably meritorious with respect to the claimed denial of counsel at time of sentencing. However, the abuse of discretion on the part of the trial court in not appointing counsel to represent defendant in prosecuting his motion will be fully rectified by the provisions of our mandate. Because no constitutional right was denied defendant by the trial court in failing to appoint counsel to prosecute the motion, we hold that this failure does not afford the basis for relief with respect to the other grounds advanced by defendant in his motion which we have found to be without merit. By the Court. Order reversed, and cause remanded with directions to set aside the three sentences of defendant and to order defendant's return from prison for resentencing.