Court Opinion

ID: 9460033
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 21:38:08.877852+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:36:26.301424
License: Public Domain

EUGENE A. WRIGHT, Circuit Judge
(dissenting):
With due respect, I must dissent and would affirm the district court’s denial of habeas corpus relief.
Lofton has challenged a 1967 state court burglary conviction on the grounds that he was denied competent counsel and the right to be represented by counsel of his choice. As I read this record, he is precluded from asserting either challenge because of his own dilatory tactics. The result reached by the majority opinion rewards him for his repeated efforts to prevent his case from ever coming to trial.
Petitioner was charged with burglary on January 19, 1967. When he was arraigned four days later and claimed in-digency, counsel (Mr. Wright) was ap*437pointed to represent him and Lofton pleaded not guilty. On March 13 he asked to change his plea to guilty and requested probation. His appointed counsel then joined him in a motion to withdraw the guilty plea, asked to be al1 lowed to withdraw as counsel, and was replaced by the public defender. When the information was amended on May 12 to charge a prior felony conviction, Lof-ton appeared with the public defender, denied the prior conviction and the case was set for trial on May 29.
Six days before trial, petitioner appeared with the public defender and asked a continuance in order to secure private counsel. The court granted a delay of four weeks on condition that no further continuance would be granted, that the trial would begin on June 19, and that Lofton would be represented by private counsel or the public defender. Private counsel (Mr. Perry) did not appear on the trial date, being engaged elsewhere, and Lofton asked for another continuance. The postponement was denied, the court designated new counsel from the public defender’s office and the case proceeded to trial over Lofton’s objection.
The right to be represented by counsel of one’s choice is not so unlimited that its exercise may be used to delay or subvert orderly criminal process. See, e. g., Nunn v. Wilson, 371 F.2d 113 (9th Cir. 1967). The majority recognizes this limitation on the right to counsel. The majority holds, however, that the only consequence of this limitation is that the trial judge may compel the defendant to proceed with designated counsel. The majority further holds that such representation can be coerced only in circumstances in which the designated counsel can serve competently. This is not an accurate characterization of the law in this circuit.
In Nunn v. Wilson, swpra, relied upon by the majority, the defendant was found to have been dilatory in the exercise of his right to counsel and was forced to proceed without counsel. As in the present case, Nunn involved a prosecution for burglary. This court affirmed a denial of habeas corpus, a holding which is inconsistent with that reached here. Since the trial judge could constitutionally have forced petitioner to proceed without counsel under the holding in Nunn, we are precluded from holding that he was constitutionally required to grant a continuance in order that the appointed counsel could prepare more adequately. The majority overrules, sub silentio, our holding in Nunn.
The majority relies on Brubaker v. Dickson, 310 F.2d 30 (9th Cir. 1962), in support of its holding that representation may not be coerced unless the designated counsel is able to serve competently. Brubaker, however, did not involve a defendant who had been dilatory in the selection of counsel and is, therefore, not controlling.
The district court reviewed the state court records, accepted affidavits from the parties, and held an evidentiary hearing at which petitioner and his private counsel testified. Based on this evidence, the district court found that petitioner had been afforded an adequate opportunity to defend with counsel of his choice. The record supports that finding. I would hold that petitioner is precluded from attacking the competency of appointed counsel when his attack is based solely on the lack of an opportunity for counsel to prepare.
Although I would affirm for the foregoing reasons, I must also point out that the district court specifically found that the representation afforded petitioner by the designated counsel was competent. That court received affidavits, took testimony on the issue of petitioner’s delinquency in obtaining counsel, and reviewed the trial record. The majority now remands in order that an evi-dentiary hearing may be held on the issue of competency. Since the designated counsel is now deceased, I see no useful purpose to be filled by such a hearing.
I would affirm.