Court Opinion

ID: 9636113
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 14:16:59.934019+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:06:22.193556
License: Public Domain

FRANK, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
There was enough, I think, in Gutter-man’s statement (“If I am going to plead guilty, I might as well defend myself.”) and in the lawyer Packer’s statement (“This man has no confidence in me. I would much rather withdraw and let him try his own case. He has a right to do it.”) to require the trial judge to ask Gutterman whether he wanted to proceed without any lawyer instead of being represented by counsel whom he utterly mistrusted. In failing to make that inquiry and in then *543compelling Gutterman to be defended by that counsel, I think the judge committed reversible error. My reasons for so thinking I have stated in detail in United States v. Mitchell, 2 Cir., 137 F.2d 1006, 1011, and Id., 2 Cir., 138 F.2d 831, 832.