Court Opinion

ID: 9478245
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 06:43:48.254098+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:46:18.994531
License: Public Domain

McWILLIAMS, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
I agree with the district court that the state trial judge informed Sanchez of his Sixth Amendment right to counsel and of his reciprocal Sixth Amendment right to self representation and that, in connection with the latter, the state trial judge adequately advised Sanchez of the dangers inherent in self representation. I also agree with the further finding of the district court that Sanchez, having been advised of his Sixth Amendment rights and warned of the perils of self representation, voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently elected to defend himself without counsel.
The majority’s approach is to me super-technical and will encourage defendants in criminal trials to play “cat and mouse” games with state trial courts. See United States v. Padilla, 819 F.2d 952, 959 (10th Cir.1987). On retrial of this case, should the State of New Mexico elect to retry *1469Sanchez, Sanchez, in view of the majority opinion, will in all probability be represented by appointed counsel, and, if convicted, will then no doubt contend in post-conviction proceedings in federal court that he was denied his Sixth Amendment right to self representation. Ad infinitum!