Court Opinion

ID: 9382896
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-03-28 23:05:06.610777+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:17:42.347907
License: Public Domain

Ej ORIGINAL                                              03/28/2023

           IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
                                                                                           Case Number: DA 22-0146

                                        DA 22-0146
                                                                             FLED
STATE OF MONTANA,                                                             MAR 2 8 2023
                                                                            BONNEVI Greenwooa
                                                                          Clerk of Supreme Coun
                                                                             State nr Mantana
             Plaintiff and Appellee,

      v.                                                             ORDER

TYLER FREDERICK ERICKSON,

             Defendant and Appellant.

       Before the Court is Tyler Erickson's request to withdraw the briefing in this appeal
and remove Michael Klinkhammer as his attorney of record.
       After briefing was completed and the case submitted to the Court but before we issued
a decision, Erickson wrote to this Court requesting that we vacate our current review, remove
Klinkhammer as his attorney of record, and forward the case to the Office of Appellate
Defender for re-briefing. Erickson raised concems about the quality of Klinkhammer's
representation, alleging that Klinkhammer, was difficult to reach, did not withdraw from
representing Erickson despite Erickson's request, did not raise on appeal all issues Erickson
wanted raised, did not provide Erickson with a copy of the State's response, and failed to file
a reply. We provided a copy of Erickson's letter to all counsel of record and allowed
Klinkhammer to respond.
       Klinkhammer responded, largely contesting Erickson's allegations. In conformance
with the Montana Rules of Professional Conduct, Klinkhammer detailed the legal services he
provided to Erickson and included a time record and an affidavit from his office manager.
See M. R. Pro. Cond. 1.6(b)(5) (allowing limited revelation of confidential information "to
respond to allegations in any proceeding concerning the lawyer's representation of the
client"). Klinkhammer states that he never received a withdrawal request from Erickson, that
he raised on appeal only effective issues supported by fact and law, that he did not provide a
copy of the State's response to Erickson because Klinkhammer was ill at the time, and that
he did not file a reply because his review of the State's response revealed no new issues
requiring reply.
       Appellate attorneys are not required to raise every cognizable issue to be considered
effective. Rose v. State, 2013 MT 161, ¶ 15, 370 Mont. 398, 304 P.3d 387. Erickson has not
demonstrated that the ineffective trial assistance claim he wanted to raise was "clearly
stronger" than the two issues Klinkharnrner chose to raise in the opening brief. See Rose,
1128. Further, filing a reply brief is optional. M. R. App. P. 12(3). Upon review, we find
Klinkhammer's opening brief adequate for us to decide the appeal and no clear indication
that Erickson fired Klinkhammer before Klinkhammer submitted briefing.                Any of
Erickson's outstanding ineffective assistance of appellate counsel claims regarding
client-attorney communication or funds are better asserted in a timely filed petition for
post-conviction relief to the Lake County District Court. See Title 46, ch. 21, MCA.
       IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Erickson's request to withdraw briefing and
remove Klinkhammer is DENIED. The appeal will be decided on the submitted briefs.
       The Clerk is directed to give notice of this Order to all counsel of record and to Tyler
Erickson personally
       Dated this 4
                  - day of March, 2023.
                                                                 ////        /r     st)?
                                                                 Chief Justice

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