Court Opinion

ID: 9626858
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 08:25:41.950336+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:06:34.648386
License: Public Domain

Hill, Justice,
dissenting.
The defendant was found guilty of felony murder and attempted armed robbery and was sentenced to life plus 10 years. He was not the actual perpetrator.
The differences between this case and Faretta v. California, 422 U. S. 806 (95 SC 2525, 45 LE2d 562) (1975), can be summed up in two quotations from Faretta (422 U. S. at 835-836): "Here, weeks before trial, Faretta clearly and unequivocally declared to the trial judge that he wanted to represent himself and did not want counsel. The record affirmatively shows that Faretta was literate, competent, and understanding, and that he was voluntarily exercising his informed free will. The trial judge had warned Faretta that he thought it was a mistake not to accept the assistance of counsel, and that Farettá would be required to follow all the 'ground rules’ of trial prodecure.” As to these " 'ground rules’ of trial procedure” (422 U. S. 807, n. 2), the judge informed Faretta: "You are going to follow the procedure. You are going to have to ask the questions right. If there is an objection to the form of the question and it is properly taken, it is going to be sustained. We are going to treat you like a gentleman. We are going to respect you. We are going to give you every chance, but you are going to play with the same ground rules that anybody plays. And you don’t know those ground rules.”
Here, after trial commenced the defendant addressed the court and the court advised the defendant as follows: "Mr. Taylor:... Your Honor, Mr. D. A., I wish not for Mr. ... to represent me. The Court: You wish to represent yourself? Mr. Taylor: Yes, I would. The Court: All right, *506he has that right. You have mighty competent counsel, Mr. Taylor. You couldn’t have hired any more competent or vigorous counsel.... He would represent you vigorously ... without any reservations, but you do have the choice of representing yourself. But I want the record to show . '. . that Mr... is available and has represented him up to this point and is willing to continue representing him. However, there is no law that allows us to force counsel on a defendant. And if it’s your choice to represent yourself, you are doing that voluntarily at this point, and I will relieve Mr... if you insist, but it’s at your insistence. Mr. Taylor: Well, Y our Honor, it’s like he just might not be in my best favor. The Court: Well, Mr. Taylor, I’m not questioning that might be your opinion, but I can state that I know that is not true. But it’s still your choice to represent yourself and if you want to represent yourself you may do so. Mr. Taylor: Yes, sir, I would like to.”
Here the defendant was not warned that he would be required to follow all the ground rules of trial procedure.1 Absent that warning, his decision to represent himself was made without his being "made aware of the dangers and disadvantages of self-representation.” Faretta, 422 U. S. at 835. As a result, this defendant was sentenced to serve 10 years for attempted armed robbery which an attorney could have prevented. Burke v. State, 234 Ga. 512 (216 SE2d 812) (1975); Farley v. State, 238 Ga. 181 (1) (231 SE2d 761) (1977). I therefore dissent.

 Although in conferences before trial the defendant was told by his counsel of the difficulties he would be facing at trial and the defenses counsel intended to use, at that time counsel expected to try the case (if the defendant did not plead guilty) and the defendant was not informed as to the legal ground rules for meeting his difficulties and presenting his defenses.