Court Opinion

ID: 9536598
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 07:03:09.333889+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:54:48.735950
License: Public Domain

McFADDEN, Justice
(concurring specially).
I concur in the conclusion reached by the majority opinion but feel obligated to disagree with that opinion’s reliance upon the case of State v. Wozniak, 94 Idaho 312, 486 P.2d 1025 (1971). In State v. Wozniak this court stated as follows:
“To constitute ineffectiveness of counsel, the circumstances must be so inadequate as to render appellant’s trial ‘a farce or mockery of justice.’ While these words are not to be taken literally, they are nonetheless descriptive of the principles that the accused has a heavy burden in proving that his counsel is ineffective.” 94 Idaho at 320, 486 P.2d at 1033.
It is my conclusion that the above test is not commensurate with the present day standards and should be abandoned. A more realistic test as to effectiveness of defense counsel should be devised in light of the constitutional requirements of both the State and Federal Constitutions of the right of an accused to “appear and defend in person and with counsel” (Idaho Const. Art. 1, § 13) or “to have the assistance of Counsel for his defense” (U.S.Const., 6th and 14th Amendments), and the interpretations of these constitutional rights by State and Federal Courts that have considered the issue. See: Avery v. Alabama, 308 U.S. 444, 60 S.Ct. 321, 84 L.Ed. 377 (1940); Twiford v. Peyton, 372 F.2d 670 (4th Cir. 1967); Reid v. State, 213 Kan. 298, 515 P.2d 1040 (1973).1
*573The American Bar Association has enunciated standards applicable to defense counsel in its Standards Relating to the Administration of Criminal Justice, 1974. Under the Defense Function Standard 1.1 (b), p. 117, an attorney owes a basic duty to serve as the accused’s counsel and advocate, with courage, devotion and to the utmost of his learning and ability, and according to law. Standard 4.1, p. 125, declares that it is the duty of the counsel to conduct a prompt investigation of the circumstances of the case and to explore all avenues leading to facts relevant to guilt and degree of guilt or penalty. Such an investigation contemplates efforts to secure information held by the prosecution and law enforcement authorities, regardless of the accused’s admissions or statements to the lawyer of facts constituting guilt or his stated desire to plead guilty. Standard 3.8, p. 125, requires counsel to keep his client informed of developments in the case, and Standard 3.9, p. 125 imposes these duties upon counsel once he has undertaken representation of an accused, regardless of whether he was privately retained, appointed by the court, or serving in a legal aid or defender system. Other duties are imposed upon counsel by these standards, and a line of demarcation between the decisions to be made by counsel and those to be made by the accused is made by Standard 5.1, p. 127 et seq., concerning conduct of the case.
In State v. Kahalewai, 501 P.2d 977, 980 (Hawaii, 1972), that court stated in terms commensurate with my view:
“ * * * In cases where the adequacy of counsel is in question, we must first examine the record with appellant’s allegations in mind, to determine whether, viewed as a whole, the assistance provided appears to have been below the level of ordinary competence demanded of lawyers in criminal cases. If this examination shows that defenses crucial to appellant’s case could have been, but were not raised, or that trial counsel inexplicably failed to assert appellant’s constitutional rights, the case will be examined further to determine whether counsel’s actions were the result of informed judgment or constitutionally inadequate preparation. The issue of informed judgment, on which appellant places so much emphasis is only relevant where the actions or inactions resulting from that judgment seem unreasonable. If this were not so, every criminal conviction would be vulnerable on appeal to the allegation or admission that trial counsel’s choice of defenses or tactics, reasonable on the surface, had actually been made in . gross ignorance of important rules of law.”
See also, Waltz, “Inadequacy of Trial Defense Representation as a Ground for Post-Conviction Relief in Criminal Cases, 59 N.W.U.L.Rev. 289 (1964); Finer, “Ineffective Assistance of Counsel”, 58 .Cornell Law Rev. 1077 (1973); Comment: “Assuring the Right to an Adequately Prepared Defense”, 65 J. of Crim.L. and Criminology 302 (1974).
Nevertheless, after reviewing the record in this instant case, I am of the opinion that it fails to disclose any valid basis for the assertion that the appellant was deprived of his constitutional rights by ineffective counsel at his trial in the lower court. Thus, the judgment of conviction should be affirmed.

. A number of courts have rejected the “farce or mockery” standard. In Beasley v. United States, 491 F.2d 687, 693 (6th Cir. 1974), the Court stated that “the ‘farce or mockery’ test should be abandoned as a meaningful standard for testing Sixth Amendment claims.” *573West v. Louisiana, 478 F.2d 1026 (5th Cir. 1973); Scott v. United States, 138 U.S.App.D.C. 339, 427 F.2d 609 (1970). See, Steward v. People, 498 P.2d 933 (Colo.1972, where Colorado, although mentioning the “bad faith, sham, or farcical representation [tests]” relied upon American Bar Association Standards of Justice relating to The Defense Function in affirming a judgment of conviction). People v. Moya, 504 P.2d 352 (Colo.1972) affirmed an order for new trial by reason of ineffective representation by counsel, apparently discarding the “bad faith, sham, or farcical representation [tests]”; People v. White, 514 P.2d 69 (Colo.1973), reaffirmed holdings of Steward v. People and People v. Moya, supra, and again reiterated the “sham, facade and mockery of justice standard”.