Court Opinion

ID: 9895260
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-06 17:06:34.807995+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:11:57.850372
License: Public Domain

STATE      OF    LOUISIANA                                                                      NO.      2023       KW     0994

VERSUS

 ZA' SHAWN        J.    RICE                                                               NOVEMBER               6,        2023

 In   Re:          Terrebonne             Parish           District              Public         Defender' s             Office,
                   applying          for supervisory writs,                             32nd         Judicial          District
                   Court,        Parish         of    Terrebonne,                No.      845525.

BEFORE:            THERIOT,          PENZATO,             AND       GREENE,       JJ.

         WRIT      GRANTED.             Under         the       Sixth          Amendment,            a   person'        s     right

to    counsel            attaches         only            at    or        after        the      time       an
                                                                                                                     adversary
judicial          proceedings             have        been          initiated           against           him.         See     also
La.      Const.        art.     I, §      13;     McNeil             v.       Wisconsin,         501      U. S.        171,     111
S. Ct.      2204,        115    L. Ed. 2d        158 (         1991).           Furthermore,              the        functions
and      duties         of     an    indigent              defender              board         are       not      implicated
unless       an        individual          is         a    defendant.                   See      Cooks          v.      Rapides
Parish           Indigent           Defender              Board,              96- 811 (        La.                     3d      Cir.
                                                                                                         App.
12/ 11/ 96),            686     So. 2d          63,        66- 67,            writ      denied,           97- 0409 (            La.
3/ 27/   97) ,         692     So. 2d     398.                                            the        district
                                                           Accordingly,                                                 court'     s
decision          to    appoint         conflict               counsel          from      the    Terrebonne                 Parish
Public           Defender' s            Office            to         provide           representation                     to     an
indigent          witness           who     invoked                 his        Fifth         Amendment               privilege
against           self- incrimination                          at         a     suppression                hearing              was
improper.               The    district           court'        s     decision            is    reversed             and       this
matter is remanded for further proceedings.

                                                               MRT
                                                               ARP
                                                                HG

COURT     OF APPEAL,            FIRST     CIRCUIT

          EPUTY        CLERK OF COURT
                  FOR    THE     COURT