Court Opinion

ID: 9718153
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 07:17:50.807792+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:57.627689
License: Public Domain

ROBERT J. SEERDEN, Chief Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent from the majority opinion. I would affirm the trial court’s judgment.
In order to show a violation of his Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel based on a conflict of interest, the defendant must show that his lawyer actively represented conflicting interests, and that an actual conflict of interest adversely affected his lawyer’s performance. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 2067, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984); Cuyler v. Sullivan, 446 U.S. 335, 100 S.Ct. 1708, 1719, 64 L.Ed.2d 333 (1980); United States v. Olivares, 786 F.2d 659, 663 (5th Cir.1986); Perillo v. State, 758 S.W.2d 567, 570 n. 3 (Tex.Crim.App.1988).
Conflicts of this nature often occur in the context of multiple defendants represented by the same attorney at trial. Though there is no presumption of conflict, the courts recognize the potential for conflict and for the compromise of privileged information in multiple representation cases. See Cuyler, 100 S.Ct. at 1718 (“a possible conflict inheres in almost every instance of multiple representation”). Accordingly, the trial judge must, in the face of timely representations by counsel of a conflict, either appoint separate counsel or take adequate steps to ascertain whether the risk is too remote to warrant separate counsel. Id. at 1719.
At least in the context of multiple representation, “an attorney’s request for the appointment of separate counsel, based on his representations as an officer of the court regarding a conflict of interests, should be granted.” Holloway v. Arkansas, 435 U.S. 475, 98 S.Ct. 1173, 1179, 55 L.Ed.2d 426 (1978). This is, in part, because an “attorney representing two defendants in a criminal matter is in the best position professionally and ethically to determine when a conflict of interest exists or will probably develop in the course of a trial.” Id. (quoting State v. Davis, 110 Ariz. 29, 514 P.2d 1025, 1027 (1973)),
Outside the context of multiple representation, the same general considerations have been applied when the lawyer previously represented a prosecution witness on charges arising out of the same transaction giving rise to the present charges against the defendant. See United States v. Martinez, 630 F.2d 361, 362-63 (5th Cir.1980), cert. denied, 450 U.S. 922, 101 S.Ct. 1373, 67 L.Ed.2d 351 (1981). The Martinez court noted that, under the circumstances, counsel’s own representations that vigorous cross-examination would cause him to violate confidential communications and to “trench upon the confidential relationship between himself and [the witness/former client]” was sufficient to prove an actual conflict of interest. Id. at 363.
The present case, however, may be distinguished from cases of multiple representation or representation arising out of the same underlying criminal episode. The attorney-client relationship between Ramirez’s counsel and Crabb did not arise out of the same criminal episode giving *491rise to the charges against Ramirez, hut was wholly separate. Accordingly, none of the obvious potentials for inconsistent versions of the crime or blame shifting are present here.
When Crabb was called as a witness by the State, Ramirez’s attorney objected “on the basis of the fact that there is a conflict here. I represent this witness in another criminal matter. He has had discussions with me in regard to use of information possibly of obtaining favorable treatment. I have confidential knowledge in that regard, based on that representation. I am being forced, by his being called, to choose between acting to the detriment of one client and then to the other.” However, she did not go into any more detail concerning the conflict, nor did she indicate clearly what she wanted the trial court to do, aside from either refusing to allow the witness to testify or declaring a mistrial. When asked for an example of how her actions would prejudice her client’s rights, counsel refused to elaborate. Counsel for the State, moreover, denied that Crabb has been given any sort of a “deal” for his testimony against Ramirez that might figure into his dealings with counsel in connection with the separate charges against Crabb.
Active representation of conflicting interests connotes more than merely cross-examining a former client. Olivares, 786 F.2d at 668. The familiarity acquired in the separate attorney-client relationship may, in some cases, even facilitate a more vigorous and successful cross-examination. Id. at 664.
Therefore, although I acknowledge that counsel is an officer of the court and entitled to respect as such, I do not believe that her conelusory assertions of a conflict and confidential information that might impact in some unspecified manner upon the present cross-examination must be accepted by the court at face value. She did not elaborate on the nature of the conflict or ask for an in camera hearing to show how confidences might be violated.1
In the absence of special circumstances, the trial court may assume that no conflict of interest exists between the criminal defendant and his attorney. See Cuyler, 100 S.Ct. at 1717. Accordingly, where there is no indication in the proceedings before the trial court of an actual conflict of interest, the trial court has no affirmative duty to inquire into the possibility of such a conflict. United States v. Greig, 967 F.2d 1018, 1022 n. 8 (5th Cir.1992); United States v. Medel, 592 F.2d 1305, 1312 (5th Cir.1979). The trial judge thus has a duty to investigate potential conflicts only “as long and as thoroughly as the circumstances of the case before him demand.” United States v. Garcia, 517 F.2d 272, 277 (5th Cir.1975) (quoting Von Moltke v. Gillies [332 U.S. 708], 68 S.Ct. 316, 323 [92 L.Ed. 309] (1948) (regarding waiver of right to counsel generally)).
In the present case, the bare assertion of a conflict by the attorney, without either circumstances that would reasonably indicate a conflict or some other evidence to substantiate such a conflict, does not create a duty on the part of the trial court to conduct an independent investigation. Indeed, without further guidance as to the nature of the alleged conflict, the trial judge would have no guidance as to the nature of cross-examination being impaired.
I would hold that in order to trigger the trial court’s duty to investigate a potential conflict of interest, the attorney must do more than merely cry “conflict.” In the absence of circumstances like multiple representation that itself indicates the nature of the conflict, the attorney must at least make some minimal showing of the nature of the alleged conflict.
*492Accordingly, I do not believe that Ramirez established an actual conflict of interest that adversely affected his lawyer’s performance. I would overrule appellant’s issue and affirm the judgment of the trial court.

. Cf. Texas Board of Pardons & Paroles v. Miller, 590 S.W.2d 142, 145 (Tex.Crim.App.1979) (recognizing that, in order to protect the defendant’s constitutional right to adequately cross-examine a witness, the trial court may view allegedly confidential materials in camera before allowing their use to show bias, prejudice, or motive to testify).