Court Opinion

ID: 9733949
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 17:21:17.385792+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:44.668379
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE STEIGMANN, specially concurring: Reversible error occurred in this case because the trial court took an action that was both unnecessary and unwise: letting defendant’s trial counsel withdraw after entering his appearance on the ground that he had not been paid. One way to avoid this problem is to put all defense counsel on notice that when they enter their appearance in a criminal case, they will not be permitted to withdraw on the ground that they had not been paid. (This is a practice I successfully used for 12V2 years as a trial judge.) Such a policy (1) places defense counsel on notice that entering an appearance in a criminal case is a serious act, not to be engaged in frivolously, and (2) greatly supports the trial court’s administration by removing uncertainty about the representation of defendants whose cases are set for trial. Perhaps the unfortunate result in this case will convince this trial court to adopt this policy.