Court Opinion

ID: 9459697
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 21:29:03.582264+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:36:17.476271
License: Public Domain

TRASK, Circuit Judge
(concurring).
I concur. I am not persuaded that the Constitution of the United States guarantees to a criminal defendant the right to represent himself. Neither do I read Adams v. United States ex rel. McCann, 317 U.S. 269, 63 S.Ct. 236, 87 L.Ed. 268 (1942), or any other decision of the Supreme Court as holding that it does. Cf. People v. Sharp, 7 Cal.3d 448, 103 Cal.Rptr. 233, 499 P.2d 489, 493-494 (1972). Our court, however, has so held and I yield to those precedents. United States v. Pike, 439 F.2d 695 (9th Cir. 1971); Arnold v. United States, 414 F.2d 1056 (9th Cir. 1969), cert. denied, 396 U.S. 1021, 90 S.Ct. 593, 24 L.Ed.2d 514 (1970); Hodge v. United States, 414 F.2d 1040 (9th Cir. 1969).
Perhaps the conflict is partially semantic.
On the one hand the Supreme Court holds that a defendant may under controlled circumstances, competently and intelligently waive his constitutional right to assistance of counsel. Adams, supra; Johnson v. Zerbst, 304 U.S. 458, 58 S.Ct. 1019, 82 L.Ed. 1461 (1938). We have held that a defendant may under controlled circumstances, competently and intelligently insist upon a ‘‘constitutional right” to represent himself. Haslam v. United States, 431 F.2d 362 (9th Cir. 1970), cert. denied, 402 U.S. *469976, 91 S.Ct. 1680, 29 L.Ed.2d 142, aff’d on rehearing, 437 F.2d 955 (1971) (competent counsel appointed by court to assist in presentation of case); Hodge, supra, 414 F.2d at 1045 (advisory counsel). Our language may be couched in terms of the absolute right of self-representation, Arnold, supra, 414 F.2d at 1058, with which I disagree, but our holdings have been structured along narrower lines more consistent with the directives of the Supreme Court.