DEFENDANT’S REQUEST TO REPRESENT HIMSELF WAS PROPERLY DENIED AND THERE WAS SUPPORT IN THE RECORD FOR THE EXISTENCE OF PROBABLE CAUSE TO ARREST (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, affirming defendant’s conviction, determined the defendant’s request to proceed pro se was properly denied and there was support in the record for the existence of probable cause to arrest. The Court of Appeals did not discuss the facts. The link to the 2nd Department decision is here:

The trial court concluded—based upon, among other things, its own observations of defendant’s conduct throughout these lengthy proceedings and the testimony of defendant’s attending physician—that defendant engaged in malingering insofar as he was competent to proceed but persisted in his efforts to avoid trial. Inasmuch as defendant “engaged in conduct which would prevent the fair and orderly exposition of the issues,” we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying defendant’s request to proceed pro se …. Moreover, the existence of record support for the determination of the courts below that the pursuit of defendant by the police was justified by a “reasonable suspicion” of criminal activity forecloses our further review of that issue … . People v Gregory, 2019 NY Slip Op 04450, CtApp 6-6-19