Court Opinion

ID: 9769522
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 14:53:21.823108+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:37:54.809219
License: Public Domain

ONION, Presiding Judge,
dissenting.
The indictment was returned on January 30, 1975, and counsel was appointed for the appellant on February 10, 1975. Over five months later a hearing on appointed counsel’s motion to suppress began on July 14, 1975. This was aborted at the State’s suggestion the matter be decided when evidence was offered at the trial on the merits. On the same date a jury was impaneled.
The next day when appellant appeared for trial with his two co-defendants he, for the first time, complained he didn’t want to be represented by his appointed counsel of some five months. The colloquy between the court and the appellant is set out in the majority opinion and need not be repeated. Suddenly the appellant decided after the jury was in the box he didn’t want appointed counsel to have anything to do with his case, and yet he pleaded that he knew nothing about the law and told the court, “. . . all I am saying, you can appoint another lawyer, whatever you want to do. I just don’t want him to represent me at this time.”
*69At the point at which this matter was urged for the first time by the appellant, the appointment of other counsel would undoubtedly have caused a postponement for at least a ten day preparation period, see Article 26.04, Vernon’s Ann.C.C.P., and a severance from the trial with his co-defendants, in absence of a waiver of the ten day preparation period. This may have been the exact result appellant sought by his actions.
The trial court tried repeatedly to explain to the appellant the situation involved, but the appellant insisted he didn’t want his appointed counsel representing him under any circumstances. The trial court’s remarks may have been inarticulate, but obviously the court was attempting to explain to the appellant at that point in the trial appellant would have to proceed with appointed counsel or represent himself. He ordered appointed counsel to remain available to the appellant during the trial, but ordered him not to participate in the trial until requested in view of appellant’s continued protestations that he didn’t want his appointed counsel as his lawyer “period.”
This court has repeatedly said that an accused’s right to retained or appointed counsel cannot be insisted upon or manipulated so as to obstruct the orderly procedure in the courts or to interfere with the fair administration of justice. Parker v. State, 545 S.W.2d 151 (Tex.Cr.App.1977); Rodriquez v. State, 530 S.W.2d 944 (Tex.Cr.App.1975); White v. State, 496 S.W.2d 642 (Tex.Cr.App.1973).
In my opinion that is exactly what this appellant attempted to do. While it may have been better practice, in view of hindsight, for the trial judge to have clearly presented the appellant the option of having appointed counsel remain in control of the case or have the appellant expressly waive counsel and agree to represent himself in view of the delay necessarily involved in appointment of other counsel, I cannot conclude that reversible error is presented. The trial court honored appellant’s persistent demands that appellant’s appointed counsel not have anything to do with the case, but ordered him to remain available to appellant during the trial. When the totality of the circumstances is considered, it appears that appellant affirmatively waived his right to counsel.
If today’s majority opinion becomes a part of the case or decisional law of this State, I can well imagine what the future actions of some defendants will be. The right to counsel is a valuable constitutional right, both state and federal, but it must not be manipulated in such manner as to defeat the orderly process of justice.
I dissent.
ODOM, J., joins this dissent.