Court Opinion

ID: 9650492
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 15:40:14.269229+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:12:22.402183
License: Public Domain

MURPHY, J.,
dissenting.
I dissent from the holding that the Respondent is entitled to a new trial on the ground that he should have been allowed to explain why, at the instant he elected a jury trial, he wanted another lawyer to represent him at that trial. It is not unusual for a criminal defendant, who is unhappy with defense *37counsel’s evaluation, to express a desire for representation by a different lawyer. A momentary wish for a different lawyer is, however, distinguishable from a considered decision to request that the trial court permit the defendant to discharge counsel. Whatever Md. Rule 4-215 requires of trial judges, that rule does not require that the trial judge permit the defendant to explain the reasons why, at some earlier point in time, the defendant wanted a different lawyer.
From my review of the record, it is clear to me that Respondent’s trial counsel was (1) speaking in the past tense when he told the Administrative Judge that, “[Respondent] didn’t like my evaluation. Wanted a jury trial and new counsel[,]” and (2) speaking in the present tense when he told the Administrative Judge that, “right now [it’s] my understanding [that Respondent] wants a trial in this matter.” Under these circumstances, if Respondent really wanted another lawyer to represent him at the jury trial, Respondent should have said so. The issue of whether Respondent is entitled to a new trial should be resolved in a post-conviction proceeding, rather than by appellate reversal on the basis of a “possible, albeit unclear, Rule 4-215(e) request.”