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DESPITE DEFENSE COUNSEL’S ADMISSION BEFORE THE MOTION COURT THAT HE DID NOT PROPERLY INVESTIGATE THIS MURDER CASE, DEFENDANT DID NOT DEMONSTRATE THAT COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE OR THAT THE ALLEGED INEFFECTIVENESS MET THE CRITERIA FOR A CONFLICT OF INTEREST (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Moulton, determined defendant did not demonstrate his attorney provided ineffective assistance, despite the attorney’s statements to the trial court acknowledging his failure to timely investigate the case, which led to his request to file a late alibi notice (the request was granted). The defendant told the trial court he did not want to change attorneys. And the trial court appointed a co-counsel. The First Department also rejected the unusual argument that defense counsel’s ineffectiveness constituted a conflict of interest:

… [D]efendant has not shown how defense counsel’s performance deprived him of a fair trial. Defense counsel’s self-proclaimed failures to properly investigate and prepare this murder case for trial are disturbing. Nevertheless, defendant has not shown that counsel’s lapses deprived him of any useful information or negatively impacted his ability to mount a defense. Defendant only speculates that a proper investigation and trial preparation might have yielded something helpful to the defense, but he does not suggest what that exculpatory information might be … . …

Defendant concedes that the conflict here is “not typical” as it is “derived from and centered on [defense counsel’s] ineffectiveness.” … Defendant argues that the conflict occurred when his counsel refused to withdraw from representation for personal reasons, despite conceding that he did not effectively investigate the case and prepare for trial. However, defendant cannot “demonstrate that the conduct of his defense was in fact affected by the operation of the conflict of interest” … . After defense counsel declined to withdraw and defendant noted that he wished to proceed with counsel, the motion court appointed cocounsel to assist the defense … . … [T]he defense was not affected by operation of the conflict because after defense counsel declined to withdraw, defense counsel and cocounsel effectively represented defendant at trial. People v Graham, 2021 NY Slip Op 07068, First Dept 12-16-21

 

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