Court Opinion

ID: 9756702
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 21:48:33.941176+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:28.415496
License: Public Domain

HOLLIS HORTON, Justice,
dissenting.
In its opinion, the majority holds that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to grant the motion to withdraw of Kyle Pinkerton, an attorney employed by the State Counsel for Offenders and Fields’s current trial counsel. I disagree with the majority that Pinkerton did not make the necessary showing of a substantial relationship between the current civil commitment proceeding and Pinkerton’s prior representation. I would hold that the trial court abused its discretion in declining to grant Pinkerton’s request to withdraw that he based on a conflict arising from his representation of one of Fields’s former victims.
However, with respect to the motion’s request that the judge allow the State Counsel for Offenders to withdraw from assigning an attorney to represent Fields, I agree that Pinkerton’s motion presents insufficient information to allow us to conclude on this record that a conflict has arisen of such magnitude that the State Counsel for Offenders could not assign an attorney unburdened with a prior representation to represent Fields in this matter. Because we should grant relief, in part, and the majority holds otherwise, I dissent.