Court Opinion

ID: 9528247
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 03:38:43.075137+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:26:36.867454
License: Public Domain

COATS, Judge,
concurring.
I wish to emphasize that this is a very limited holding. We are not deciding whether the court had an obligation to appoint advisory counsel for Cano. We are also not dealing with a situation where Cano’s counsel expressed any objection to participating in the trial in a limited manner. Both Ms. Andrews and Cano agreed that the trial could best be conducted with her acting as advisory counsel. We are also not dealing with a situation where the trial judge was exercising his discretion to attempt to make sure Cano had effective assistance of counsel at trial. Cf. McCracken v. State, 518 P.2d 85, 91-92 (Alaska 1974). There also is no indication that the arrangement proposed by Cano and Ms. Andrews would have led to any disruption at trial. The trial court certainly has broad discretion to regulate trials and the conduct of counsel in the courtroom. However, in this case the trial court gave no good reason for limiting Cano’s contact with his counsel. We have independently been unable to see any reason for limiting Cano’s contact with his counsel. Therefore we find an abuse of discretion under the limited facts of the case.