Opinion ID: 2586480
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Defendant's waiver of his right to self-representation

Text: Defendant contends his waiver of his previously asserted right to self-representation was invalid on two grounds. First, he argues his waiver was ineffective because it was conditioned on Peters's presentation of the accidental ignition defense and the defense was not presented. Second, defendant maintains his waiver was not valid because it was induced by the trial court's misadvisement on August 12, 1994, that he could decide what defense to present even when represented by counsel. Because he mistakenly believed that Peters would present such a defense and that he, rather than counsel, could choose what defense to present, defendant argues he was unaware of the consequences of his waiver of his Faretta right and thus did not knowingly and voluntarily waive his right, requiring reversal of his conviction.
(4) Waivers of constitutional rights not only must be voluntary but must be knowing, intelligent acts done with sufficient awareness of the relevant circumstances and likely consequences. ( Brady v. United States (1970) 397 U.S. 742, 748 [25 L.Ed.2d 747, 90 S.Ct. 1463]; see People v. Mroczko (1983) 35 Cal.3d 86, 110 [197 Cal.Rptr. 52, 672 P.2d 835].) Although we have found no authority directly on point, this court has addressed the related issue of the validity of a conditional waiver of the right to counsel and held that a waiver of counsel which is made conditional by a defendant cannot be effective unless the condition is accepted by the court. ( People v. Carter (1967) 66 Cal.2d 666, 670 [58 Cal.Rptr. 614, 427 P.2d 214]; see also Adams v. Carroll (9th Cir. 1989) 875 F.2d 1441, 1445 [upholding the defendant's unequivocal request to represent himself if the trial court would not order substitute counsel].) In Carter, on which defendant relies in arguing his waiver of the right to self-representation was invalid, the defendant moved to waive his right to counsel and represent himself at trial. ( People v. Carter, supra, 66 Cal.2d at p. 668.) With the court's permission, the deputy district attorney undertook the inquiry to determine the defendant's ability to defend himself. During this colloquy, the defendant stated he was willing to represent himself if he were permitted the use of the law library. Later, the defendant refused to defend himself because he had not been provided access to the library; the trial ended in his conviction. ( Id. at pp. 668-669.) On appeal, this court reversed because there was no constitutionally effective waiver of the defendant's right to counsel. ( Id. at p. 670.) The record clearly established that the defendant's willingness to proceed without counsel was predicated upon his mistaken belief, reinforced by the failure of the trial judge to promptly and unequivocally reject the condition imposed by [the] defendant, that he would be permitted some sort of meaningful access to and use of library facilities. ( Ibid. ) This court further noted that the defendant's conduct throughout the trial was consistent with that belief, in that he made multiple requests for access to library facilities in order to prepare his case. ( Id. at pp. 668-670.) Here, we need not decide defendant's claim that his waiver of his right to self-representation was invalid because his willingness to waive this right was predicated on his mistaken belief that Peters, by accepting appointment as counsel of record, would present the accidental ignition defense, a belief the trial court reinforced by failing to promptly and unequivocally reject this condition. Under the unique circumstances presented in this case, even assuming that defendant's waiver was invalid, reversal of his conviction is not required. (5) As defendant acknowledges, a waiver or abandonment of the Faretta right to self-representation may be inferred from a defendant's conduct. ( McKaskle v. Wiggins (1984) 465 U.S. 168, 182-183 [79 L.Ed.2d 122, 104 S.Ct. 944]; People v. Dunkle (2005) 36 Cal.4th 861, 909-910 [32 Cal.Rptr.3d 23, 116 P.3d 494].) In McKaskle, the United States Supreme Court concluded that the self-represented defendant's acquiescence in standby counsel's participation at various points during trial barred his complaint on appeal that counsel's participation infringed on his right to represent himself. ( McKaskle, supra, 465 U.S. at pp. 182-183.) In Dunkle, this court held the trial court erred in denying the defendant's Faretta motion made over a year before the commencement of his trial. ( Dunkle, supra, 36 Cal.4th at p. 909.) Relying in part on McKaskle, we concluded that the defendant subsequently abandoned his Faretta right when he stated in a later proceeding that he wanted to be represented by counsel, and thus cured any error in the trial court's denial of his Faretta request. ( Dunkle, at pp. 909-910.) Here, any error by the trial court in accepting a conditional waiver of defendant's right to self-representation during the April 15, 1996, closed proceeding was cured by defendant's conduct during the proceeding held on November 13, 1996, after the court ruled that he was competent to stand trial and reinstated criminal proceedings. There, the court considered the Faretta motion defendant had filed on October 22, 1996. A brief recess was taken, and Peters and defendant conferred privately. During this conference, defendant asserts, Peters told him that he did not intend to present the accidental ignition defense. [14] The proceedings resumed, and Peters and defendant again appeared before the court. Defendant withdrew his Faretta motion and stated that Peters could present whatever defense he thought appropriate. The record contains no suggestion that defendant did not understand what he was giving up by withdrawing his Faretta motion, confirming that he wanted to be represented by Peters, and agreeing that Peters could determine the defense. Hence, we may properly infer that defendant abandoned his Faretta right and, in so doing, cured any error by the trial court in accepting his purported conditional waiver of his right to self-representation. ( People v. Dunkle, supra, 36 Cal.4th at pp. 909-910.) Finally, without citation to the appellate record, defendant asserts that he had no choice but to withdraw his Faretta motion after the conclusion of the competency proceedings on November 13, 1996, because the accidental ignition defense had not been prepared. Keeping Peters as appointed counsel, he reasons, ensured that a defense would be presented, even if it were not his preferred defense. But defendant never actually claimed lack of preparation when he withdrew his Faretta motion. By as early as July 30, 1993, during the hearing on his first Faretta motion, defendant had articulated his accidental ignition defense theory, and he made statements alluding to the theory as late as July 26, 1996, at the hearing on his nonstatutory motion to dismiss. Also, defendant indicated in his posttrial motion to dismiss verdicts, filed March 17, 1997, that he had begun to utilize Lowe's services around May 1995 and, by April 2, 1996, had learned of Lowe's findings and conclusions. [15] On this record, there is no support for defendant's contention that lack of preparation of his favored defense compelled him to accept appointed counsel.
Defendant claims that, on April 15, 1996, he waived his Faretta rights and agreed to Peters's appointment in reliance on the trial court's misadvisement, at the August 12, 1994, hearing on defendant's Marsden and Faretta motions (see, ante, at p. 277), that he could decide what defense theory counsel would present. (6) That the court misadvised defendant is clear. A defendant does not have the right to present a defense of his own choosing, but merely the right to an adequate and competent defense. ( People v. Welch (1999) 20 Cal.4th 701, 728 [85 Cal.Rptr.2d 203, 976 P.2d 754], citing People v. Hamilton, supra, 48 Cal.3d 1142, 1162.) An exception to this general rule is that defense counsel's traditional authority to control the conduct of the case does not include the authority to withhold the presentation of any defense at the guilt phase if the defendant openly and unequivocally expresses his desire to present a defense and if there exists some credible evidence to support it. ( People v. Burton (1989) 48 Cal.3d 843, 856 [258 Cal.Rptr. 184, 771 P.2d 1270], citing People v. Frierson (1985) 39 Cal.3d 803, 812, 817-818 [218 Cal.Rptr. 73, 705 P.2d 396] (plur. opn. of Kaus, J.).) Counsel, however, is not obligated to present a defense that lacks credible evidentiary support. ( Burton, supra, 48 Cal.3d at p. 857.) Here, defendant fails to show that he actually relied on the court's misadvisement in relinquishing his right to self-representation on April 15, 1996. As recounted above, two months after the court's misadvisement, during a discovery hearing held on October 21, 1994, the court effectively corrected itself when it agreed with defendant that his appointed counsel could pursue a separate defense strategy, even over defendant's objections. Nothing in the later record contradicts the substance of the October 21, 1994, exchange. Moreover, even if defendant at some point actually relied on the court's earlier misstatement that he could insist counsel present a particular defense in relinquishing his Faretta right, reversal would not be required because, as stated in the preceding part, any error by the trial court in accepting his waiver of his right to self-representation was cured when defendant withdrew his Faretta motion during the proceedings that followed the November 13, 1996, competency hearing and stated Peters could determine the defense.