You are here: / / THE DEFENDANT WAS REPRESENTED AT TRIAL BUT REPRESENTED HIMSELF IN PRETRIAL...
, , ,

THE DEFENDANT WAS REPRESENTED AT TRIAL BUT REPRESENTED HIMSELF IN PRETRIAL PROCEEDINGS; THE JUDGE NEVER ADEQUATELY EXPLAINED THE RISKS OF REPRESENTING ONESELF OR THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ATTORNEY ACTING AS A “LEGAL ADVISOR” TO THE DEFENDANT AND AN ATTORNEY WHO “REPRESENTS” THE DEFENDANT; CONVICTION REVERSED AND MATTER REMITTED TO REPEAT PRETRIAL PROCEEDINGS (CT APP).

​The Court of Appeals, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Troutman, reversing the appellate division, determined the judge never adequately explained to the defendant the risks associated with representing himself, and the judge did not explain the difference between an attorney who acts as a “legal advisor” to the defendant as opposed to an attorney who “represents” the defendant. Although the defendant was represented at trial, he was not represented during much of the pretrial proceedings. The matter was remitted to repeat the pretrial proceedings:

… [T]he court’s record exploration of the issue did not warn defendant of the risks of proceeding pro se or apprise him of the importance of a lawyer in the adversarial system, nor does the record as a whole demonstrate that defendant effectively waived his right to counsel. Initially, the court conducted no discussion whatsoever of these issues before stating that defendant was representing himself … . Although the court later told defendant that it was “not a great idea” to represent himself, that defendant was putting himself “in a very bad position,” and that a lawyer would have knowledge of criminal procedure that defendant did not, these brief, generalized warnings do not satisfy the requirement for a searching inquiry … . * * *

… [W]hen the court, in its discretion, permits standby counsel … , it should explain to the defendant the court’s rules regarding the role of a legal advisor or standby counsel and how that role differs from representation by an attorney. People v Baines, 2022 NY Slip Op 05919, CtApp 10-24-22

Practice Point: When a defendant seeks to represent himself, the judge must adequately explain the associated risks, as well as the difference between an attorney who acts as a “legal advisor” to the defendant and an attorney who “represents” the defendant. Here the defendant was represented at trial but not during some of the pretrial proceedings. The matter was remitted to repeat the pretrial proceedings.

 

You might also like
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO CONSTITUTED BRADY MATERIAL WHICH COULD HAVE AFFECTED THE OUTCOME OF THE TRIAL, THE PROSECUTOR HAD SEEN THE VIDEO BUT TOLD THE JURY NO VIDEO EXISTED, CONVICTION REVERSED (CT APP).
ALTHOUGH THE NOTICE OF THE INTENT TO PRESENT PSYCHIATRIC EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATING DEFENDANT’S LACK OF CAPACITY TO COMMIT ARSON WAS “1400 DAYS LATE,” THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN REFUSING TO ACCEPT THE LATE NOTICE (CT APP). ​
HERE THE MISDEMEANOR COMPLAINT DID NOT INCLUDE FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS SUPPORTING ONE OF THE COUNTS; THEREFORE THE PEOPLE’S CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH CPL 30.30 (5-A) WAS INACCURATE; THE INACCURACY REQUIRED THE DISMISSAL OF THE COUNT, NOT THE INVALIDATION THE PEOPLE’S CORRESPONDING CPL 245.20 STATEMENT OF READINESS (CT APP).
DISPUTES INVOLVING THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF FOREIGN CORPORATIONS ARE RESOLVED UNDER THE LAW OF THE PLACE OF INCORPORATION (SCOTS LAW HERE); COURTS CAN TAKE JUDICIAL NOTICE OF THE FOREIGN LAW; HERE PLAINTIFFS STATED A CAUSE OF ACTION FOR BREACH OF FIDUCIARY DUTY UNDER SCOTS LAW (CT APP).
INTERSTATE SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY IS AN ISSUE WHICH MUST BE RAISED BEFORE THE TRIAL COURT TO BE PRESERVED FOR APPEAL TO THE COURT OF APPEALS; HERE A NEW JERSEY TRANSIT BUS COLLIDED WITH A CAR DRIVEN BY A NEW YORK RESIDENT IN THE LINCOLN TUNNEL AND THE TRIAL WAS HELD IN NEW YORK; ALTHOUGH THE INTERSTATE SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY DEFENSE WAS VALIDATED BY THE US SUPREME COURT IN 2019, THE ISSUE WAS NOT RAISED BEFORE THE TRIAL COURT (CT APP). ​
Good Time Credit Should Be Deducted From the Two-Year Sentence Cap Imposed Under Penal Law 70.30 (2) (b), Not from the Longer Aggregate Term to Which the Two-Year Statutory Cap Was Applied
Father Estopped from Denying Paternity
DEFENDANT FAILED TO CHALLENGE THE PREDICATE FELONY STATEMENT IN THE LOWER COURT; THEREFORE THE ALLEGED ERROR WAS NOT PRESERVED FOR APPEAL (CT APP).

Categories

Sign Up for the Mailing List to Be Notified When the Site Is Updated.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2026 New York Appellate Digest, Inc.
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

THE INDEMNIFICATION CLAUSE IN THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT DID NOT INCLUDE “UNMISTAKABLY... AN UNFAVORABLE ANONYMOUS GOOGLE REVIEW OF PLAINTIFF ORTHODONTIST, ALTHOUGH IT...