Opinion ID: 1277687
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 23

Heading: Right to a Speedy Appeal

Text: Defendant contends that an almost three-year delay in the appointment of appellate counsel denied him a right to a speedy appeal, in violation of his Fourteenth Amendment right of due process. He relies on U.S. v. Antoine (9th Cir.1990) 906 F.2d 1379, 1382, and Harris v. Champion (10th Cir.1994) 15 F.3d 1538, 1546, for the existence of such a right. As we stated in People v. Holt, supra, 15 Cal.4th at page 709, 63 Cal.Rptr.2d 782, 937 P.2d 213, in addressing an identical claim, these decisions do not address the unique demands of appellate representation in capital cases. [¶] [Moreover,] [n]either this court, nor the United States Supreme Court, has extended the Sixth Amendment right to speedy trial to appeals in the manner suggested by defendant. Assuming, but not deciding, that such a right exists, defendant fails to demonstrate that the delay inherent in the procedures by which California recruits, screens, and appoints attorneys to represent capital defendants on appeal, is not necessary to ensure that competent representation is available for indigent capital appellants. Moreover, defendant fails to suggest any impact that the delay could have had on the validity of the judgment rendered before that delay occurred. Defendant contends that he was prejudiced by the delay in the appointment of counsel because this led in turn to a delay in the settled statement conference discussed above, during which a number of unreported conferences were reconstructed. He claims that such delay caused memories to fade and led to inaccuracies in the settled statement. This contention is purely speculative. Moreover, as discussed, the unreported conferences concerned preliminary discussions of matters more fully treated on the record, and the failure to hold these on the record did not impair defendant's right to obtain meaningful appellate review.