State ex rel. Snider v. Flynn

926 S.W.2d 891, 1996 Mo. App. LEXIS 1267, 1996 WL 396758
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 16, 1996
DocketNo. 69797
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 926 S.W.2d 891 (State ex rel. Snider v. Flynn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Snider v. Flynn, 926 S.W.2d 891, 1996 Mo. App. LEXIS 1267, 1996 WL 396758 (Mo. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

GRIMM, Presiding Judge.

Relator/defendant seeks a writ of prohibition to prevent respondent/judge from sentencing him in two matters. One is the revocation of probation, and the other is a trial. He contends that he was forced to represent himself in both matters in violation of his constitutional right to counsel. We issued a preliminary order in prohibition, which we now make absolute.

I.

The first of these two matters, a misdemeanor stealing charge, arose in 1993. A November 1993 docket entry states, “Defendant does not qualify for public defender as defendant is not emancipated.”

Apparently, private counsel represented defendant when he pled guilty to this charge on February 2,1994. Respondent suspended imposition of sentence and placed defendant on two years supervised probation.

Approximately 14 months later, respondent suspended defendant’s probation after being advised of a possible violation. In [893]*893May, 1995, the district public defender entered his appearance for defendant. From this time forward, the proceedings parallel those in the second case.

The second matter, a misdemeanor receiving stolen property case, arose in 1995. In May 1995, the district public defender entered his appearance for defendant. However, on June 20, 1995, the district public defender filed identical motions to withdraw in both cases. The public defender gave as his reason, “Defendant has hired private counsel on another pending criminal charge.”

On June 22, 1995, respondent granted the public defender’s motion to withdraw. We have no further record of a hearing on the motions. At that time, and twice thereafter, respondent set the matter “for announcement regarding counsel.”

The July 27 docket entries reflected that defendant “appears in custody as he is being held on Warren County warrants.” The entries further stated, “Defendant has not hired an attorney. Defendant is advised he will not qualify for public defender as he has private counsel on other pending eases. Case set for trial with or without an attorney on September 7,1995.”

The September 7 docket entries stated, “Court has determined that the defendant has impliedly waived his right to counsel.” We were not furnished any record concerning this determination. Respondent then conducted a probation violation hearing on the first matter and revoked defendant’s probation.

Also on September 7, respondent heard evidence in the second matter and found defendant guilty. It set post-trial motions and sentencing for a subsequent date. After overruling defendant’s post-trial motion, respondent continued the case “for sentencing Defendant then sought or filing of writ.” this writ.

II.

The constitution guarantees an accused the right to counsel. Absent a knowing and intelligent waiver of counsel, no defendant may be imprisoned unless he was represented by counsel at trial. State v. Watson, 687 S.W.2d 667, 669 (Mo.App. E.D.1985). Further, the State has the burden to show from the record that a defendant waived his right to counsel. Id. at 670.

Nothing in the record indicates defendant waived his right to counsel, much less made a knowing and intelligent waiver. The only record which relates to this issue is respondent’s docket sheet entry that “defendant has impliedly waived his right to counsel.”

The record is silent as to why or how defendant “impliedly waived” counsel. We could speculate that respondent made this determination because defendant apparently had counsel in other cases. However, nothing in the record states who hired or paid the counsel in the other cases. Regardless, the record is barren of any facts that defendant had the ability to hire counsel in these two matters.

We do know that according to the November 1993 docket entry, defendant did not then qualify for a public defender because he was not emancipated. This leads us to believe he was then 17 years of age. The record does not disclose whether defendant was ever employed, or what assets, if any, he has with which to hire an attorney. Thus, there is a lack of proof of indigency.

Even if defendant is not indigent, § 600.051.1,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
926 S.W.2d 891, 1996 Mo. App. LEXIS 1267, 1996 WL 396758, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-snider-v-flynn-moctapp-1996.