Concepcion v. Cintron

905 F. Supp. 57, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13170, 1995 WL 530130
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedAugust 25, 1995
DocketCiv. No. 94-2752 (DRD)
StatusPublished

This text of 905 F. Supp. 57 (Concepcion v. Cintron) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Concepcion v. Cintron, 905 F. Supp. 57, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13170, 1995 WL 530130 (prd 1995).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

DOMINGUEZ, District Judge.

Before the Court is Plaintiff1 Maximiliano Amparo Concepcion’s pro se and in forma pauperis, action against Judge Antonio J. Negroni Cintron, The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Department of Justice, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, filed on December 29, 1994, under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (See docket 2). Plaintiff brings this action as a result of Superior Court Judge Antonio J. Negroni Cintron’s dismissal of Plaintiffs State claims, filed on July 1994.

One of these claims (KDP 94-0836) relates to an alleged civil rights violations committed by state correction officers, which was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction2. Plaintiffs second claim (KDP 94-1027) relates to a malpractice suit he filed against his trial attorney in the Superior Court, San Juan Part. The Superior Court denied Plaintiffs request for authorization to proceed pro se in said action against his former attorney. Plaintiff alleges that the Superior Court deprived him of his right to proceed pro se, when an order was issued by the trial court advising that the Complaint would be dismissed should Plaintiff not obtain the service of an attorney within ninety (90) days. (See docket 2)

On February 27, 1995, Plaintiff filed an Amended Complaint which was authorized to be docketed as part of the record on April 25, 1995, by Magistrate Judge Aida M. Delgado Colon. (See docket 4). The amended Complaint includes all the Judges of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Supreme Court, as new Defendants in this action, for their denial of Plaintiffs petition to appear pro se on appeal of his criminal conviction for possession of forged documents.

In his Complaint Plaintiff purports that although, Judges and members of the Judicial system who act under a Court’s directive are immune from lawsuits for damages, “[t]hey are not immune from declaratory reliefs.” Plaintiffs assertions of plausible declaratory relief are also unsound and flawed as is the § 1983 claim against the State Judges. Hence, under the facts of this case, the Court decrees the dismissal of the § 1983 Complaint, and of the Declaratory Judgement relief requested, except as to Judge Negroni Cintron.

Plaintiff alleges that because his “assigned attorney withdrew from the case after the sentence, he was forced to file a notice of appeal pro se3”. The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico eventually, denied said request and appointed an attorney from the Legal Aid Society, to assist Plaintiff on appeal of his criminal conviction.

Because Plaintiff was denied his petition to proceed pro se on the action against his attorney, and on appeal of his criminal conviction, he purports to have been denied his “constitutional right of a counsel of his choice” and of his “constitutional right of access to the Court.” (See Docket Nos. 2 [59]*59and 4). This assertion is unsubstantiated by the fact that the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico accepted Plaintiffs pro se appearance dated September 1,1994, and postponed consideration of the “Motion Requesting Order and Request for Pro se representation on appeal4”, subject to the approval and recommendation of Legal Aid Society5. Because of Plaintiffs failure to place The Court in a position to evaluate his case by not including the necessary documentation requested by the Rules of the Court, the Supreme Court denied Plaintiffs action6. It was Plaintiffs own gross non-compliance with jurisdictional requirements, and utter disregard of Court Rules and Procedures which moved the Court to deny Plaintiffs action on appeal. Hence, in light of Plaintiffs marred petition, whether Plaintiff was represented by the Legal Aid Society, or pro se is inconsequential.

Under the facts of this case, not only are Plaintiffs alleged constitutional violation groundless and meritless, but by virtue of the doctrine of “judicial immunity” all Defendants included herein are absolutely immune from suit.

The following discussion centers in the analysis of the right of a defendant to self-representation, the nature and inquest of absolute “judicial immunity”, and whether dismissal of this case is warranted under 28 U.S.C. § 1915.

I — Is Plaintiffs constitutional right to represent himself absolute and unrestrictable?

As determined in Faretta v. California, 422 U.S. 806, 95 S.Ct. 2525, 45 L.Ed.2d 562 (1975), the seminal Supreme Court decision on right to self-representation under the Sixth Amendment, the right to self-representation by an accused is not absolute inasmuch as the trial court may terminate such right at any time, and appoint stand by-counsel, if termination of self-representation is warrant-ed7.

The trial judge has ample discretion in determining whether or not to appoint standby counsel. See Molino v. Dubois, 848 F.Supp. 11, 14 (D.Mass.1994), citing Neal v. State of Texas, 870 F.2d 312, 315-16 (5th Cir.1989).

At the State level Plaintiff exercised his constitutional right to counsel and was assisted by a court appointed counsel8. Furthermore, The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico denied Plaintiffs pro se request for his own failure to adequately comply with procedural requirements of the Court. In Faretta, there is no indication, as claimed by Plaintiff, that a prisoner has the right to counsel of his choice on appeal, or that he has a constitutional right to represent himself at a stage where specific knowledge of procedural and substantive law is required. “A district court is not obliged to accept every defendant’s invocation of the right to self-representation.” See U.S. v. Betancourt-Arretuche, 933 F.2d 89, 92 (1st Cir.1991), citing United States v. Purnett, 910 F.2d 51, 55 (2d Cir.1990).

Clearly then, because Justices of The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, nor Judge Antonio J. Negroni Cintron are constitutionally [60]*60compelled to accept Plaintiffs invocation or request to self-representation, or said denial does not otherwise constitute an infringement or desecration of Plaintiffs alleged right to self-representation, the court hereby, agrees with the Hon. Magistrate’s Report and Recommendation, docket 9, that dismissal of Plaintiffs request to appear pro se is apposite and warranted9.

II — Does denial of Plaintiffs petition to appear pro se constitute an abuse of judicial discretion that would oust immunity?

“Absolute immunity” is defined as “[t]he right to be free not only from the consequences of the litigation’s results, but from the burden of defending oneself altogether.” 46 Am.Jur.2d, Rule of Absolute Judicial Immunity § 68.

Judges enjoy a “comparatively sweeping” form of absolute immunity,10 which is not annulled by a state’s Government Torts Claim Act.

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Bluebook (online)
905 F. Supp. 57, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13170, 1995 WL 530130, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/concepcion-v-cintron-prd-1995.