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DEFENDANT WAS ENTITLED TO THE ASSIGNMENT OF NEW COUNSEL BASED UPON COUNSEL’S REMARK THAT DEFENDANT’S REQUEST TO WITHDRAW HIS PLEA WAS UNWARRANTED; THE JUDGE SHOULD HAVE CONDUCTED AN INQUIRY ABOUT DEFENDANT’S REQUEST FOR SUBSTITUTE COUNSEL AND HIS REQUEST TO WITHDRAW HIS PLEA; MATTER REMITTED FOR ASSIGNMENT OF NEW COUNSEL AND A SUFFICIENT INQUIRY BY THE JUDGE (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, over a dissent, determined defendant’s appeal waiver was invalid, defendant demonstrated a conflict of interest on assigned counsel’s part, and the judge did not conduct a proper inquiry about defendant’s requests for new counsel and to withdraw his guilty plea. The Third Department vacated defendant’s sentence, not the conviction or plea, and remitted the matter for the assignment of new counsel and an inquiry about defendant’s request for substitute counsel and his request to withdraw his plea:

At sentencing, the Conflict Defender explained that she had “numerous phone conversations” with defendant about the grounds for his motion — namely, that assigned counsel’s communication of the People’s plea offer amounted to coercion; that defendant’s learning disability had prevented him from comprehending the consequences of his plea; and that the Conflict Defender was herself conflicted out of representing defendant. Based on her conversations with defendant, the Conflict Defender stated to County Court, “I don’t believe there is anything that warranted [defendant] withdrawing a plea, so I didn’t file a motion” … . “While apparently inadvertent, counsel’s remark . . . affirmatively undermined arguments her client wished the court to review, thereby depriving defendant of effective assistance of counsel” … , and the court should have relieved the Conflict Defender and assigned new counsel to represent defendant on the motion … .

We also agree with defendant that the allegations of assigned counsel’s ineffectiveness were sufficiently serious and factually specific to trigger County Court’s duty to consider his request for substitute counsel … . An indigent defendant’s right to court-appointed representation “does not encompass a right to appointment of successive lawyers at defendant’s option” … . “Rather, a defendant may be entitled to new counsel only upon showing good cause for a substitution, such as a conflict of interest or other irreconcilable conflict with counsel” … . * * *

In addition to alleging that assigned counsel coerced him into pleading guilty, defendant’s letters to County Court asserted that assigned counsel failed to visit him in jail or discuss his case with him; dodged his phone calls on specific dates; sent other attorneys to represent defendant who did not seem to be knowledgeable about the case; intended to oppose any motion defendant made to substitute counsel; and told defendant that his only other options for representation were to hire private counsel or represent himself. Further, defendant indicated that assigned counsel misadvised defendant about his sentencing exposure in a prior case, resulting in an appeal from that conviction on the ground of assigned counsel’s ineffectiveness. Defendant also alleged that assigned counsel was not relaying information or following his instructions in representing him in a separate, contemporaneous criminal action against him. Reading defendant’s allegations of ineffectiveness in the context of defendant’s purported history with assigned counsel, defendant’s complaints set out a plausible claim that the trust and communication between him and assigned counsel had broken down irretrievably … . Faced with these complaints, the court was required to “make at least a minimal inquiry, and discern meritorious complaints from disingenuous applications by inquiring as to the nature of the disagreement or its potential for resolution” … . People v Ubrich, 2025 NY Slip Op 02824, Third Dept 5-8-25

Practice Point: Here defense counsel’s remark that defendant’s request to withdraw his plea was unwarranted demonstrated a conflict of interest requiring the assignment of new counsel.

Practice Point: Here defendant raised serious issues about assigned counsel’s representation requiring the judge to consider his request for substitute counsel.

Practice Point: Here defendant raised serious issues in support of his request to withdraw his guilty plea which required an inquiry by the judge.

 

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