Opinion ID: 1974893
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Conflict of Interest of Codefendant's Counsel

Text: Appellant Bush argues that his conviction should be reversed because there was a conflict of interest created because he had been represented in a prior, unrelated case by the same trial counsel representing co-defendant Owens in this case. In the earlier case, John Williams, who was a witness for the government in this case, was also Bush's co-defendant. [10] Although Bush did not assert a conflict of interest in the trial court, he contends that the trial court should have known of the conflict and inquired because during a discussion of the plea arrangement with Mr. Williams, the attorney for appellant Bush informed the court that Owens' attorney might be able to verify the plea arrangements because she had represented Bush in the other case. The accused in a criminal case has the right to the effective assistance of counsel which necessitates that counsel have the ability and willingness to advocate effectively for his client. Douglas v. United States, 488 A.2d 121, 135 (D.C.1985). To ensure this right, it is essential that defense counsel have no conflict of interest which might divide his loyalty to the accused. Id. at 136; Fitzgerald v. United States, 530 A.2d 1129, 1133 (D.C.1987). Therefore, the court has an obligation to inquire when it becomes apparent that a particular conflict exists. Cuyler v. Sullivan, 446 U.S. 335, 347, 100 S.Ct. 1708, 1716, 64 L.Ed.2d 333 (1980); Douglas, 488 A.2d at 136. Where a defendant fails to object on the basis of such conflict, a Sixth Amendment violation warranting reversal will be established if a convicted defendant demonstrates on appeal that `an actual conflict of interest adversely affected his lawyer's performance.' Douglas, 488 A.2d at 136 (footnote omitted) (quoting Cuyler, 446 U.S. at 348, 100 S.Ct. at 1718). Where a defendant fails to object at trial, but can demonstrate that the conflict of interest `actually affected the adequacy of his representation,' that defendant need not go so far as to show that the conflict prejudiced the outcome of the case in order to obtain reversal. Douglas, 488 A.2d at 136 n. 16 (quoting Cuyler, 446 U.S. at 349-50, 100 S.Ct. at 1718-19). Such conflicts occur most often when one attorney represents several defendants in a single case. Fitzgerald, 530 A.2d at 1133. The types of harm which might result in such a situation include the following: an attorney may refrain from challenging the admission of evidence prejudicial to one client but favorable to another, or from emphasizing the culpability of one client in order to exculpate another, or from allowing one defendant to testify against another, or from presenting a defense that helps one client but harms another, or from entering a plea agreement for one client conditioned upon his testimony for the prosecution against another client. Id. at 1133. Here appellant Bush does not allege that the attorney who represented him in this case was ineffective or had any conflict of interest. Rather, he contends that the representation of his co-defendant in this case by an attorney that he had in another case created a conflict which resulted in potential prejudice to him. The only actual claim of prejudice which appellant cites is that when one of the witnesses in the Kovak's robbery identified him from a photograph, his former attorney stated on the record that she had no objection when the government moved the admission of the photograph into evidence. We need not decide whether the rule in Fitzgerald and Douglas extends to the type of challenge made here. Even assuming that it does, the demonstration of an actual conflict affecting his lawyer's performance has not been shown. See Douglas, supra, 488 A.2d at 136.