EVEN THOUGH DEFENDANT’S REQUEST FOR NEW COUNSEL WAS MADE RIGHT BEFORE JURY SELECTION, THE JUDGE SHOULD NOT HAVE DENIED THE REQUEST WITHOUT AN INQUIRY INTO THE REASON FOR IT (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the judge should not have denied defendant’s request for new counsel without an inquiry, despite the timing of the request (right before jury selection):

“Defendant is entitled to a new trial because the court denied his request for new counsel without making any inquiry” into the substance of his request, “and without giving defendant any opportunity to explain the basis for his request” … . It is not dispositive that the request was first raised “[s]hortly before jury selection” … . “Even though the request for new counsel may well have been a delaying tactic, . . . the court had no basis to deny the application without hearing any explanation” … . People v Hernandez-Molina, 2023 NY Slip Op 04732, First Dept 9-26-23

Practice Point: Even if the judge suspects the defendant’s request for new counsel is a delay tactic, an inquiry into the reason for the request must be made, If there is no inquiry, the case will be reversed on appeal.