Opinion
CALLAHAN, C. J.
The defendant, Jose Crespo, appeals from a conviction of murder following a trial [667]*667by a three judge panel.1 The conviction arose out of the May 24, 1994 strangulation death of the victim, Melanie Rieger. We affirm the defendant’s conviction.
The panel reasonably could have found the following facts. The defendant and the victim had been involved in a relationship for three years, beginning when the victim was sixteen years old and the defendant was twenty-three years old. Throughout the course of their relationship, the defendant and the victim regularly had engaged in physically and verbally abusive behavior. On May 24,1994, the defendant went to the home of the victim in Waterbury for a prearranged meeting. While there, the defendant and the victim engaged in a violent argument that led to the defendant’s strangulation of the victim. The defendant subsequently took steps to conceal his crime. On the day after he killed the victim, however, the defendant informed his sister, EvaPizarro, and brother-in-law, Jose Pizarro, what he had done, and they persuaded him to retain attorney Mark Kostecki. With the assistance of Kostecki, the defendant turned himself in to the authorities. The defendant has not denied that he caused the victim’s death. Rather, he has consistently claimed that he did not intend to kill the victim, and that he was extremely emotionally disturbed when he killed her. Additional facts will be discussed where relevant.
[668]*668The defendant was charged by information with murder in violation of General Statutes § 53a-54a (a).2 After a finding of competency and probable cause, the defendant waived his right to a jury trial and was tried by a three judge panel. The defendant was convicted of murder and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of sixty years. He appealed from the judgment of the trial court to this court pursuant to General Statutes § 51-199 (b).3 In his appeal, the defendant claims that the trial court improperly: (1) found that the evidence of the defendant’s intent to cause the victim’s death was sufficient to find him guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt; (2) concluded that he had not proved his affirmative defense of extreme emotional disturbance by a preponderance of the evidence; and (3) failed to conduct an inquiry into an actual or potential conflict of interest between the defendant and his attorney, Kostecki, and to obtain the defendant’s waiver of his right to conflict-free representation. Additionally, the defendant requests that we review the trial court’s denial of his motion for articulation. We decline to address the merits of the defendant’s request for review, and we affirm the judgment of conviction.
[669]*669I
We initially address the trial court’s denial of the defendant’s motion for articulation. The defendant argues that the trial court’s judgment did not satisfy the requirements of Practice Book § 64-1 (a) (1), formerly § 4059, which requires that “in judgments in trials to the court in civil and criminal matters . . . the court shall, either orally or in writing, state its decision on the issues in the matter. The court shall include in its decision its conclusion as to each claim of law raised by the parties and the factual basis therefor. . . .” The defendant argues that the court’s failure to provide the requested articulation setting forth the factual basis of its conclusions impeded his ability to present an effective appeal.
The defendant’s claim is not reviewable on appeal. Practice Book § 66-5, formerly § 4051, governing motions for articulation, provides that “[t]he sole remedy of any party desiring the court having appellate jurisdiction to review the trial court’s decision on the motion filed pursuant to this section or any other correction or addition ordered by the trial court during the pendency of the appeal shall be by motion for review under Section 66-7 [formerly § 4054], . . .” Consequently, our review of a trial court’s denial of a motion for articulation is exclusively by way of a motion for review pursuant to Practice Book § 66-7, formerly § 4054.4 Moreover, the defendant already has obtained [670]*670the review to which he is entitled. We previously granted his motion for review of the trial court’s denial of his motion for articulation, but denied the relief requested. We will not provide the defendant the opportunity for a second review of an issue already conclusively decided.
II
The defendant next claims that the state failed to produce sufficient evidence from which the trial court could have found beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to cause the victim’s death. He asserts, therefore, that the court improperly denied his motions for judgment of acquittal at the close of the state’s casein-chief and at the close of all the evidence. Consequently, he contends that reversal of his murder conviction is required. We disagree.
“The standard of review employed in a sufficiency of the evidence claim is well settled. [W]e apply a two-part test. First, we construe the evidence in the light most favorable to sustaining the verdict. Second, we determine whether upon the facts so construed and the inferences reasonably drawn therefrom the [trier of fact] reasonably could have concluded that the cumulative force of the evidence established guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. . . . State v. James, 237 Conn. 390, 435, 678 A.2d 1338 (1996). In this process of review, it does not diminish the probative force of the evidence that it consists, in whole or in part, of evidence that is circumstantial rather than direct. ... It is not one fact, but the cumulative impact of a multitude of facts which establishes guilt in a case involving substantial [671]*671circumstantial evidence. . . . State v. Brown, 235 Conn. 502, 510, 668 A.2d 1288 (1995).
“While the [trier of fact] must find every element proven beyond a reasonable doubt in order to find the defendant guilty of the charged offense, each of the basic and inferred facts underlying those conclusions need not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. . . . If it is reasonable and logical for the [trier] to conclude that a basic fact or an inferred fact is true, the [trier] is permitted to consider the fact proven and may consider it in combination with other proven facts in determining whether the cumulative effect of all the evidence proves the defendant guilty of all the elements of the crime charged beyond a reasonable doubt. . . . State v. Newsome, 238 Conn. 588, 617, 682 A.2d 972 (1996). Moreover, [i]n evaluating evidence that could yield contrary inferences, the [trier of fact] is not required to accept as dispositive those inferences that are consistent with the defendant’s innocence. State v. DeJesus, 236 Conn. 189, 195, 672 A.2d 488 (1996). As we have often noted, proof beyond a reasonable doubt does not mean proof beyond all possible doubt; State v. Ford, 230 Conn. 686, 693, 646 A.2d 147 (1994); State v. Patterson, [229 Conn. 328, 332, 641 A.2d 123 (1994)]; State v. Little, 194 Conn. 665, 671-72, 485 A.2d 913 (1984); nor does proof beyond a reasonable doubt require acceptance of every hypothesis of innocence posed by the defendant that, had it been found credible by the [trier of fact], would have resulted in an acquittal. . . . On appeal, we do not ask whether there is a reasonable view of the evidence that would support a reasonable hypothesis of innocence. We ask, instead, whether there is a reasonable view of the evidence that supports the [trier’s] verdict of guilty. . . . State v. DeJesus, supra, 196; see also State v. Sivri, 231 Conn. 115, 134, 646 A.2d 169 (1994).” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Torres, 242 Conn. 485, 489-90, 698 A.2d 898 (1997).
[672]*672The state produced the following evidence at trial in support of its allegation that the defendant intended to cause the death of the victim. Throughout the course of their three year relationship, the defendant regularly engaged in physically abusive conduct toward the victim. The defendant had abused the victim in the presence of others, but he also had shown restraint before his family by walking away when the victim attempted to engage him in fights by striking him first. The defendant had stated to Monica Blanchette, the mother of his two children, that he was going to end up killing the victim. Additionally, the defendant had sought counseling from mental health professionals at Waterbury Family Services in an attempt to control his anger and his abuse of the victim.
One month before the victim’s death, the defendant and the victim engaged in a heated argument over the telephone, which the victim recorded. After the victim ended the conversation, the defendant called back and left a message on her answering machine. In the message the defendant made several serious threats against the victim and her family.5 On the day of the victim’s death, the defendant went to the victim’s home to pick her up so that she could accompany him to meet his mother, who was visiting from Puerto Rico. The defendant and the victim were sexually intimate while they were still at the victim’s home. Soon thereafter, a violent argument erupted. During the course of the argument, the defendant strangled the victim, causing her death.6
[673]*673After killing the victim, the defendant stole from the victim’s home jewelry and a video camera, which he sold at a pawn shop. He then went to a self-serve storage facility, where he rented a storage bin for a period of one month. Later, he picked up his children and visited his mother. He then brought the children to the beach and returned them home to their mother. Later that evening, he retrieved the victim’s body and returned to the storage bin that he had rented earlier in the day. There, he deposited the body, which he had placed in a hockey equipment bag. The next morning, knowing that the victim was dead, the defendant called her home and left a message on her answering machine stating that he would see her the following day and asking her to call him. It was not until later that day that the defendant told the Pizarros what had happened. They encouraged him to turn himself in. He agreed and accompanied them to Kostecki’s office for that purpose.
On the basis of these facts, we conclude that the trial court reasonably could have concluded that the defendant intended to cause the victim’s death. “In order to be convicted under our murder statute, the defendant must possess the specific intent to cause the death of the victim. General Statutes § 53a-54a. To act intentionally, the defendant must have had the conscious objective to cause the death of the victim. General Statutes § 53a-3 (11) . . . . State v. Carpenter, 214 Conn. 77, 82, 570 A.2d 203 (1990). Ordinarily, intent can only be proved by circumstantial evidence; it may be and usually is inferred from the defendant’s conduct. Id. Intent to cause death may be inferred from the type of weapon used, the manner in which it was used, the type of wound inflicted and the events leading to and immediately following the death. State v. Zdanis, 182 Conn. 388, 396, 438 A.2d 696 (1980), cert. denied, 450 U.S. 1003, 101 S. Ct. 1715, 68 L. Ed. 2d 201 (1981); see [674]*674also State v. Carpenter, supra, 82-83. Furthermore, it is a permissible, albeit not a necessary or mandatory, inference that a defendant intended the natural consequences of his voluntary conduct. State v. Amarillo, 198 Conn. 285, 300-304, 503 A.2d 146 (1986).” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Montanez, 219 Conn. 16, 20, 592 A.2d 149 (1991).
It is well settled that “[t]his court cannot substitute its own judgment for that of the [trier of fact] if there is sufficient evidence to support the [trier’s] verdict. State v. Tomasko, 238 Conn. 253, 258, 681 A.2d 922 (1996). Accordingly, [w]e do not sit as a [thirteenth] juror who may cast a vote against the verdict based upon our feeling that some doubt of guilt is shown by the cold printed record. . . . Rather, we must defer to the [trier’s] assessment of the credibility of the witnesses based on its firsthand observation of their conduct, demeanor and attitude. ... Id. Finally, [i]n reviewing the . . . verdict, it is well to remember that [triers of fact] are not expected to lay aside matters of common knowledge or their own observation and experience of the affairs of life, but, on the contrary, to apply them to the evidence or facts in hand, to the end that their action may be intelligent and their conclusions correct. . . . State v. Ford, supra, 230 Conn. 693; State v. Little, supra, 194 Conn. 674; see also State v. Zayas, 195 Conn. 611, 620, 490 A.2d 68 (1985) ([i]t is an abiding principle of jurisprudence that common sense does not take flight when one enters a courtroom).” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Torres, supra, 242 Conn. 490-91.
The court reasonably could have found from the defendant’s act of manually strangling the victim that he intended the normal and natural consequences of that act, namely, the victim’s death.7 The history of [675]*675violence and the defendant’s threats against the victim’s life, along with his recognition that he was likely to kill her, also support the finding that the defendant intended to cause the victim’s death. Additionally, evidence that the defendant had exhibited control in the past to prevent a violent escalation of their fighting supports the finding that he intended her death on this occasion. The court also could have inferred that the defendant’s substantial efforts to conceal the crime evinced a consciousness of guilt. The cumulative effect of the evidence was more than ample to enable the trier of fact to have found, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant intended to cause the death of the victim.
Ill
The defendant next argues that the trial court improperly found that he had not proved his affirmative defense of extreme emotional disturbance by a preponderance of the evidence. We disagree.
Section 53a-54a (a) provides in pertinent part that “it shall be an affirmative defense [to the crime of murder] that the defendant committed the proscribed act or acts under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance for which there was a reasonable explanation or excuse, the reasonableness of which is to be determined from the viewpoint of a person in the defendant’s situation under the circumstances as the defendant believed them to be . . . .” We have held that “[e]xtreme emo[676]*676tional disturbance ‘is a mitigating circumstance which will reduce the crime of murder to manslaughter.’ ” State v. Raguseo, 225 Conn. 114, 122, 622 A.2d 519 (1993), quoting State v. Asherman, 193 Conn. 695, 730-31, 478 A.2d 227 (1984), cert. denied, 470 U.S. 1050, 105 S. Ct. 1749, 84 L. Ed. 2d 814 (1985). Pursuant to General Statutes § 53a-12 (b), “[w]hen a defense declared to be an affirmative defense is raised at a trial, the defendant shall have the burden of establishing such defense by a preponderance of the evidence.”
There is a substantial body of case law addressing the affirmative defense of extreme emotional disturbance. The seminal decision is State v. Elliott, 177 Conn. 1, 411 A.2d 3 (1979). “[W]e have repeatedly stated that our review of the conclusions of the trier of fact, whether it be a judge, a panel of judges or a jury, is limited. See, e.g., State v. Brice, 186 Conn. 449, 459, 442 A.2d 906 (1982) .... This court will construe the evidence in the light most favorable to sustaining the trial court’s [judgment] and will affirm the conclusion of the trier of fact if it is reasonably supported by the evidence and the logical inferences drawn therefrom. . . . The probative force of direct and circumstantial evidence is the same. . . . State v. Evans, [203 Conn. 212, 238, 523 A.2d 1306 (1987)].” (Citations omitted; internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. DeJesus, supra, 236 Conn. 200-201; State v. Patterson, supra, 229 Conn. 339; State v. Blades, 225 Conn. 609, 628, 626 A.2d 273 (1993); State v. Steiger, 218 Conn. 349, 378-79, 590 A.2d 408 (1991).
“For the defendant to have prevailed on this defense, he would have had to establish, by a preponderance of the evidence, that he had caused the death of the victim under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance for which there was a reasonable explanation or excuse measured from the viewpoint of a reasonable person [677]*677in the defendant’s situation under the circumstances as the defendant believed them to be. State v. Steiger, supra, 218 Conn. 385; State v. Patterson, supra, 229 Conn. 341; State v. Raguseo, [supra, 225 Conn. 122]; State v. Ortiz, 217 Conn. 648, 656-58, 588 A.2d 127 (1991). To sustain his burden of establishing extreme emotional disturbance by a preponderance of the evidence, the defendant must persuade the trier of fact that: (1) the emotional disturbance is not a mental disease or defect that rises to the level of insanity as defined by the penal code; (2) the defendant was exposed to an extremely unusual and overwhelming state, that is, not mere annoyance or unhappiness; and (3) the defendant had an extreme emotional reaction to it, as a result of which there was a loss of self-control, and reason was overborne by extreme intense feeling, such as passion, anger, distress, grief, excessive agitation or other similar emotions. State v. Patterson, supra, 341.” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. DeJesus, supra, 236 Conn. 202-203.
Ultimately, “the question is whether upon the facts established and the inferences drawn therefrom the fact-finder could have reasonably concluded that the cumulative effect of the evidence failed to establish that the defendant acted under the influence of an extreme emotional disturbance for which there was a reasonable explanation or excuse. In sum, except where an abuse of discretion is clearly shown, the conclusion of a trial court should be affirmed so long as it is a reasonable one on the basis of the evidence adduced and the inferences drawn therefrom.” State v. Zdanis, supra, 182 Conn. 391-92. “In the final analysis . . . the ultimate determination of the presence or absence of extreme emotional disturbance [is] one of fact for the trier, aided by the expert testimony of both sides, but left to its own factual determinations. ...” (Citations omitted; internal quo[678]*678tation marks omitted.) State v. Steiger, supra, 218 Conn. 383, quoting State v. Zdanis, supra, 395.
Two experts, Jeremy August, a forensic psychiatrist, and Walter M. Phillips, a clinical psychologist, testified on behalf of the defendant. After interviewing the defendant and members of his family, and after reviewing tests conducted at his request by Phillips, August concluded that the defendant was suffering from a borderline personality disorder with stress related dissociative features8 that rendered him unable to control his anger in highly stressful situations. The defendant does not, however, suffer from a major psychiatric illness, psychosis or organic condition. Phillips also testified that the defendant suffered from a borderline personality disorder that prevented him from managing his anger and aggression. He also indicated that the defendant was driven to engage in conflictive relationships, such as that with the victim. Phillips opined that, unlike individuals who are not affected by this condition, the defendant was unable to experience feelings of love and anger toward one person at the same time, thus preventing him from tempering his anger toward the victim with love.
On the basis of the defendant’s description to him of the events surrounding the homicide, August concluded that the defendant was unable to control his overwhelming feelings of anger on the day that he killed the victim due to several long-term and immediate stress factors.9 [679]*679August opined that the stress of the following circumstances combined to cause the defendant to lose his ability to reason or to control his anger: (1) the defendant had been abused by his alcoholic father as a child; (2) the victim had received at least two abortions during her relationship with the defendant; (3) the defendant’s mother had made a surprise visit from Puerto Rico; (4) the victim had intended to gain more independence from the defendant; and (5) the victim and the defendant had engaged in sexual intercourse immediately prior to the violent argument. According to August, these factors, all extant while the victim and the defendant were arguing, placed an unbearable strain on the defendant’s tenuous grasp on his emotions and caused him to lose control of his anger and strangle the victim.
Although the state did not call its own experts to rebut the defendant’s claim, it did cross-examine the two defense experts and presented other evidence to rebut the defendant’s claim of extreme emotional disturbance.10 “In a case in which the evidence is conflicting, it is the quintessential [fact finder] function to reject or accept certain evidence, and to believe or disbelieve any expert testimony. See, e.g., State v. Forrest, 216 Conn. 139, 148, 578 A.2d 1066 (1990); State v. Zdanis, [supra, 182 Conn. 395].” State v. Raguseo, supra, 225 Conn. 123; see State v. Blades, supra, 225 Conn. 629.
The state, by cross-examination and by independent evidence, rebutted several aspects of the basis of the [680]*680expert opinions. There was no testimony other than that of August that the defendant was upset by his mother’s visit. Indeed, the testimony of Blanchette and the defendant’s sister both indicated to the contrary. There was no testimony, other than that of the defense experts, that the victim had intended to break off or curtail her relationship with the defendant. To the contrary, she had made plans to spend the day with him, and they had engaged in sexual intercourse immediately prior to the fight that led to her death. Even if the victim had stated during the course of the ensuing argument that she wanted to end the relationship, there was evidence that she frequently had broken off the relationship only to reunite later. The evidence that the defendant was traumatized by the victim’s decision to have an abortion on at least two occasions also was conflicting. At least the first abortion was performed with the consent and participation of the defendant, and there was no evidence that the defendant objected to the second abortion.
The information upon which the experts based their opinions of the defendant’s feelings and the events surrounding the homicide was gleaned from the defendant. There was no evidence that the experts challenged or independently verified his statements, which may have been self-serving. The court was not required to give this evidence persuasive weight.
Furthermore, the court was entitled to disbelieve the defendant when he told the experts that he could not remember killing the victim. Contrary to the defendant’s assertion that there were other episodes in which he could not remember his violent conduct, the testimony indicated that he was able to recall prior violent fights with the victim. There was evidence of only one other circumstance in which the defendant purportedly had [681]*681experienced a memory lapse.11 August testified, furthermore, that, in his experience as a forensic psychiatrist, memory loss is one of the most commonly used excuses for criminal conduct. It was reasonable, therefore, for the court to have discredited the expert testimony and to conclude that the defendant had not proved his claim of extreme emotional disturbance by a preponderance of the evidence.
Even if the court had accepted the experts’ diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, it was not obliged also to accept the testimony that the defendant was in the grip of an extreme emotional disturbance when he killed the victim. It is well established that “the term ‘extreme’ refers to the greatest degree of intensity away from the norm for that individual.” State v. Elliott, supra, 177 Conn. 10; see State v. Austin, 244 Conn. 226, 243, n.18, 710 A.2d 732 (1998); State v. DeJesus, supra, 236 Conn. 204. The trial court reasonably could have concluded that the defendant was not subjected to an extreme emotional disturbance because his violent reaction was not the greatest degree of intensity away from the norm. Circumstances were not significantly different from those surrounding any of the prior fights. August testified that the circumstances surrounding the homicide did not constitute an unusual emotional experience or circumstance. Fights of the same nature were a common and regular occurrence between the victim and the defendant. The defendant had obtained counseling for his anger and violence toward the victim. Additionally, there was evidence that the defendant was able to control his anger in similar situations. Members of his family testified that he never struck the victim in their presence. In situations where the victim initiated a fight and struck him, the defendant had left the room [682]*682without striking back. We cannot say that the trial court improperly concluded that the defendant had not proved his claim of extreme emotional disturbance by a preponderance of the evidence.
IV
Finally, the defendant asserts that he is entitled to a new trial because Kostecki, in representing him, had an actual conflict of interest, or alternatively, that Kostecki had a potential conflict of interest. The defendant further asserts that the trial court was or should have been aware of the conflict, or potential conflict, but failed to conduct an inquiry or to obtain a knowing and intelligent waiver of his right to conflict-free representation. He argues, therefore, that automatic reversal of his conviction is required because his sixth amendment right to effective assistance of counsel has been violated. We disagree.
The following additional facts are relevant to this issue. On the day after he killed the victim, the defendant met his brother-in-law, Jose Pizarro. At that time, the defendant informed Pizarro that he thought he had killed the victim. Subsequently, he also told the same thing to his sister, Eva Pizarro. At the recommendation of the Pizarros, the defendant agreed to turn himself in to the police. The Pizarros then accompanied the defendant to Kostecki’s office for that purpose. After consultation with the defendant in the presence of the Pizarros, during which the defendant informed Kostecki that he had killed the victim and where the body was located, Kostecki contacted John Maia, an inspector in the office of the state’s attorney. Kostecki advised Maia of what he had been told concerning the circumstances of the victim’s death and the location of the body. Kostecki drafted a written consent to search the storage [683]*683bin where the body was hidden, which the defendant signed.12 Kostecki turned the consent form over to the police and accompanied them in their search of the storage bin. The police opened the bin with a key provided to them by Kostecki. Kostecki informed the police that the individual from whom he had obtained the key was in his office. At that time, he did not refer to the defendant by name.
Inside the bin, the police observed a bag that was large enough to contain a body. Rather than continue the search, the police sought to secure a search warrant. The affidavit for the warrant included the information obtained by the police from Kostecki, statements of Jose Pizarro to the police regarding the defendant’s confession and the location of the body, as well as certain aspects of the independent investigation of the police, including their observation of the size of the bag as well as their discovery of the fact that the defendant had leased the bin on the prior day. At trial, the defendant submitted a stipulation of facts to the court relating to Kostecki’s participation in the initial investigation, which was admitted into evidence without objection.13
The defendant argues that these facts demonstrate an actual conflict of interest on the part of Kostecki, [684]*684or, at a minimum, a potential conflict of interest of which the court should have been aware and that it should have addressed. The purported potential conflict of interest between the defendant and his attorney allegedly arose out of Kostecki’s participation in the initial investigation leading to the defendant’s arrest. According to the defendant, Kostecki’s participation gave rise to the possibility that Kostecki might have been called as a witness either on behalf of or against the defendant, creating the potential for a conflict of interest.14 Additionally, the defendant argues that, by [685]*685placing the stipulation of facts into evidence, Kostecki did, in fact, testily against his interests, creating an actual conflict of interest. Although we recognize that this is an unusual set of circumstances, we are not persuaded by either of the defendant’s arguments.
“The sixth amendment to the United States constitution as applied to the states through the fourteenth amendment, and article first, § 8, of the Connecticut constitution,15 guarantee to a criminal defendant the right to effective assistance of counsel. Powell v. Alabama, 287 U.S. 45, 69, 53 S. Ct. 55, 77 L. Ed. 158 (1932); Festo v. Luckart, 191 Conn. 622, 626, 469 A.2d 1181 (1983). Where a constitutional right to counsel exists, our Sixth Amendment cases hold that there is a correlative right to representation that is free from conflicts of interest. Wood v. Georgia, 450 U.S. 261, 271, 101 S. Ct. 1097, 67 L. Ed. 2d 220 (1981). Festo v. Luckart, supra, 626-27. . . . [Q]ne of the principal safeguards of this [686]*686right is the rule announced by this court that [a trial] court must explore the possibility of conflict . . . when it knows or reasonably should know of a conflict .... Festo v. Luckart, supra, 629.” (Citations omitted; internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Martin, 201 Conn. 74, 78-79, 513 A.2d 116 (1986).
There are two circumstances under which a trial court has a duty to inquire with respect to a conflict of interest: (1) when there has been a timely conflict objection at trial; Holloway v. Arkansas, 435 U.S. 475, 488, 98 S. Ct. 1173, 55 L. Ed. 2d 426 (1978); or (2) when “the trial court knows or reasonably should know that a particular conflict exists . . . .” Cuyler v. Sullivan, 446 U.S. 335, 347, 100 S. Ct. 1708, 64 L. Ed. 2d 333 (1980). A trial court’s failure to inquire in such circumstances constitutes the basis for reversal of a defendant’s conviction. Holloway v. Arkansas, supra, 488. In the absence of an affirmative duty by the trial court to inquire, however, “a defendant who raised no objection at trial must demonstrate that an actual conflict of interest adversely affected his lawyer’s performance” in order to obtain reversal of his conviction. Cuyler v. Sullivan, supra, 348; Festo v. Luckart, supra, 191 Conn. 626-31.
The defendant did not raise any objection to his attorney’s representation at trial. He seeks review, however, pursuant to State v. Golding, 213 Conn. 233, 239-40, 567 A.2d 233 (1989), or the plain error doctrine pursuant to Practice Book § 60-5, formerly § 4061.16 In Golding, we held that “a defendant can prevail on a claim of constitutional error not preserved at trial only if all of the following conditions are met: (1) the record is adequate to review the alleged claim of error; (2) the [687]*687claim is of constitutional magnitude alleging the violation of a fundamental right; (3) the alleged constitutional violation clearly exists and clearly deprived the defendant of a fair trial; and (4) if subject to harmless error analysis, the state has failed to demonstrate harmlessness of the alleged constitutional violation beyond a reasonable doubt. In the absence of any one of these conditions, the defendant’s claim will fail.” Id., 239-40. Moreover, we will review an unpreserved claim under the plain error doctrine only in “those truly extraordinary situations where the existence of the error is so obvious that it affects the fairness and integrity of and public confidence in the judicial proceedings.” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Austin, supra, 244 Conn. 241; State v. Ortiz, supra, 217 Conn. 659-60.
We conclude that neither of the defendant’s claims, namely, that there was an actual conflict, or that the court failed to inquire into a potential conflict, meets the requirements of Golding. For the reasons discussed subsequently, the defendant’s initial claim, that an actual conflict of interest affected his representation, fails under the first prong of Golding for lack of an adequate record. The defendant’s second claim, that the trial court failed to inquire into a potential conflict of interest, fails under the third prong of Golding because the defendant has not demonstrated that the trial court was under a duty to inquire such that its failure to do so evidences the clear existence of a constitutional violation that clearly deprived him of a fair trial. Additionally, we cannot determine, from the record, whether Kostecki impugned the fairness and integrity of the trial by acting contrary to the defendant’s interest so as to constitute plain error. Consequently, we will not review the defendant’s claims of ineffective assistance of counsel on direct appeal.
Almost without exception, we have required that “a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel must be raised [688]*688by way of habeas corpus, rather than by direct appeal, because of the need for a full evidentiary record for such [a] claim. State v. Leecan, 198 Conn. 517, 541, 504 A.2d 480, cert. denied, 476 U.S. 1184, 106 S. Ct. 2922, 91 L. Ed. 2d 550 (1986).” State v. Munoz, 233 Conn. 106, 131 n.16, 659 A.2d 683 (1995); State v. Roman, 224 Conn. 63, 65 n.2, 616 A.2d 266 (1992), cert. denied, 507 U.S. 1039, 113 S. Ct. 1868, 123 L. Ed. 2d 488 (1993) (“defendant’s claim of ineffective assistance of counsel must await an appropriate factual record, which can only be developed pursuant to a petition for habeas corpus”); State v. Walker, 215 Conn. 1, 9, 574 A.2d 188 (1990).17 Moreover, we have stated as our preference “that all of the claims of ineffective assistance, those arguably supported by the record as well as others requiring an evidentiary hearing, be evaluated by the same trier in the same proceeding.” (Emphasis added.) State v. Leecan, supra, 541. On the rare occasions that we have addressed an ineffective assistance of counsel claim on direct appeal, we have limited our review to allegations that the defendant’s sixth amendment rights had been jeopardized by the actions of the trial court, rather than by those of his counsel. See State v. Webb, 238 Conn. 389, 414 n.24, 680 A.2d 147 (1996); State v. Martin, supra, 201 Conn. 83; State v. Rodriquez, 200 Conn. 685, 694-96, 513 A.2d 71 (1986). We have addressed such claims, moreover, only where the record of the trial court’s allegedly improper action was adequate for review or the issue presented was a question of law, not one of fact requiring further evidentiary development. See State v. Webb, supra, 414 n.2418 (court will [689]*689review claim on direct appeal only when claim of trial court error “may be resolved as a matter of law upon review of the existing record” [emphasis added]); State v. Martin, supra, 83;19 State v. Rodriquez, supra, 694-96.20
“In a case of a claimed [actual] conflict of interest ... in order to establish a violation of the sixth amendment the defendant has a two-pronged task. He must establish (1) that counsel actively represented conflicting interests and (2) that an actual conflict of interest adversely affected his lawyer’s performance. . . . Phillips v. Warden, 220 Conn. 112, 133, 595 A.2d 1356 (1991).”21 (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Webb, supra, 238 Conn. 422. We have described an attorney’s conflict of interest as that which impedes his paramount duty of loyalty to his client. Phillips v. Warden, supra, 136-38. “Thus, an attorney may be consid[690]*690ered to be laboring under an impaired duty of loyalty, and thereby be subject to conflicting interests, because of interests or factors personal to him that are inconsistent, diverse or otherwise discordant with [the interests] of his client .... Government of the Virgin Islands v. Zepp, 748 F.2d 125, 135 (3d Cir. 1984).” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) Phillips v. Warden, supra, 139.
Contrary to the defendant’s assertion, we cannot conclude from this record that Kostecki’s decision to admit the stipulation of fact concerning his contact with the police was the product of personal interests that were “inconsistent, diverse or otherwise discordant with” the defendant’s interest. Id. The decision to admit the stipulation of facts may have been a reasonable trial strategy, properly discussed with and agreed to by the defendant, to admit uncontested and readily ascertainable facts. On the other hand, it may have been the equivalent of adverse attorney testimony prompted by Kostecki’s desire to remain as the defendant’s counsel, inimical to the defendant’s best interests.22
[691]*691The admission of a stipulation relating facts in lieu of a defense attorney’s testimony may, in some cases, constitute a conflict of interest. If the stipulation is the equivalent of an attorney testifying against his client, it is, ipso facto, an actual conflict of interest. See Rules of Professional Conduct 3.7. It does not follow, however, that every stipulation regarding an attorney’s role in the representation of his client prior to trial is the equivalent of adverse testimony by the attorney. The use of a stipulation rather than an attorney’s testimony has been accepted as a legitimate trial strategy when the information in the stipulation otherwise could have been presented by the prosecution, but the use of the stipulation was strategically preferable to the defendant and the state. For example, in People v. Beals, 162 Ill. 2d 497, 504-505, 643 N.E.2d 789 (1994), the defendant’s attorney entered a stipulation relating the facts of an interview he had conducted with two witnesses regarding their testimony. The prosecution could have called the defendant’s sister, who was present during the interviews, to testify to the facts contained in the stipulation. Id., 505. The court concluded that the use of the stipulation rather than his sister’s testimony was in the best interest of the defendant, and, therefore, was not inelfective assistance of counsel. Id. There are many factors that must be evaluated in a determination of whether the use of a stipulation is a valid trial strategy or the equivalent of adverse attorney testimony. Such factors include whether the stipulation comports with the defendant’s overall trial strategy, whether the stipulation is reasonable in light of the state’s case, whether the state could have proven the facts in the absence of the stipulation, whether the attorney discussed the use of the stipulation with the defendant as a trial strategy, [692]*692and whether the defendant agreed with that strategy. Although that list is not exhaustive, it provides a suitable framework from which to evaluate the legitimacy of Kostecki’s decision to enter the stipulation into evidence and the reasonableness of the court’s failure to inquire into the possibility of a conflict.23
The record indicates that the state could have proved every relevant fact related in the stipulation.24 It was, moreover, reasonable to believe, in the face of the defendant’s several confessions as well as other compelling circumstantial evidence,25 that the state would [693]*693have had little trouble proving, independent of the stipulation, the commission of the homicide. The defendant’s decision to rely exclusively on a mental state defense appears to have been the best, if not the only, viable trial strategy. The stipulation had little, if anything, to do with the defendant’s mental state. Admission of the stipulation, indicating that the defendant had identified the location of the body and had provided the keys to the bin and had given his consent to search the bin, also may have been perceived as a wise tactic to demonstrate contrition, lending credibility to the defendant’s claimed lack of intent. Additionally, the decision to admit the facts relating to the initial investigation may be viewed as a reasonable step to avoid additional testimony that might have had the negative effect of continually reinforcing the defendant’s horrific conduct in the minds of the triers of fact.
These considerations suggest that use of the stipulation may have been a legitimate trial strategy. We cannot know for certain from the record, however, whether that was so, nor can we determine from the record whether Kostecki adequately explained to the defendant any possible conflict, if one existed, and obtained the defendant’s consent to his continued representation.26 We may speculate regarding the divergence of Kostecki’s and the defendant’s interests, but there are no facts from which we may conclude, as a matter of law, that a conflict actually existed. We have recognized that the “trial transcript seldom discloses all of the considerations of strategy that may have induced counsel to follow a particular course of action.” State v. Leecan, supra, 198 Conn. 541. It is because of this typical [694]*694lack of an adequate record that we ordinarily require a defendant to raise conflict of interest claims in a habeas corpus proceeding. Id. Although we cannot conclude with any degree of certainty from the record that the offer of the stipulation was an actual conflict of interest, we are equally unable to determine that it was not. Resolution of this issue, therefore, must await the development of an adequate factual record in an appropriate, posttrial proceeding.
The only remaining issue that properly may be resolved in this direct appeal is whether the trial court reasonably should have known, from the admission of the stipulation or other facts within its knowledge, that Kostecki had a potential conflict of interest. Such awareness by the court would give rise to a duty to inquire, and the failure to fulfill that duty constitutes reversible error. See Cuyler v. Sullivan, supra, 446 U.S. 347-48; Festo v. Luckart, supra, 191 Conn. 626-31.27 We [695]*695conclude, however, that the record does not demonstrate that the trial court should have been aware of a potential conflict of interest between Kostecki and the defendant giving rise to a duty to inquire.
The stipulation did no more than admit readily ascertainable facts relating to an uncontested issue, that is, the defendant’s commission of the homicide. The trial couxt reasonably may have viewed the use of the stipulation as a valid trial strategy rather than as the equivalent of adverse attorney testimony. There was no other evidence in the record from which the trial court was or should have been aware of a conflict of interest so as to compel the invocation of the extraordinary remedy of automatic reversal without a showing of prejudice to the defendant. The better course is to await the full evidentiary hearing of an appropriate, posttrial proceeding, which will determine whether, in fact, a conflict of interest deprived the defendant of the effective assistance of counsel.
We also conclude that the record is insufficient for us to say that the trial court should have known that Kostecki might be called as a witness, thus giving xise to a potential conflict of interest. Rule 3.7 of the Rules of Professional Conduct requires an attorney to withdraw if he or she “reasonably foresees that he will be called as a witness to testify on a material matter . . . .” (Emphasis added; internal quotation marks [696]*696omitted.) State v. Webb, supra, 238 Conn. 417. It is firmly established that a trial court is entitled to rely on the silence of the defendant and his attorney, even in the absence of inquiry, when evaluating whether a potential conflict of interest exists. As noted in Cuyler, “[d]efense counsel have an ethical obligation to avoid conflicting representations and to advise the court promptly when a conflict of interest arises during the course of trial. Absent special circumstances, therefore, trial courts may assume either that [the potentially conflicted] representation entails no conflict or that the lawyer and his clients knowingly accept such risk of conflict as may exist. . . . [T]rial courts necessarily rely in large measure upon the good faith and good judgment of defense counsel. An attorney [facing a possible conflict] in a criminal matter is in the best position professionally and ethically to determine when a conflict of interest exists or will probably develop in the course of a trial.” (Citation omitted; emphasis added; internal quotation marks omitted.) Cuyler v. Sullivan, supra, 446 U.S. 346-47; see United States v. Kindle, 925 F.2d 272, 275-76 (8th Cir. 1991); United States v. Crespo de Llano, 838 F.2d 1006, 1012 (9th Cir. 1987); Wilson v. Morris, 724 F.2d 591, 594 (7th Cir. 1984); State v. Webb, supra, 238 Conn. 421 (“the defendant’s attorneys’ decisions not to seek to withdraw . . . support the conclusion that they did not possess an actual conflict of interest”).
Furthermore, we have concluded that a defendant’s current or former attorney may not be called to testify by either the defendant or the state in the absence of “compelling need.” Ullmann v. State, 230 Conn. 698, 717-18, 647 A.2d 324 (1994). To meet this test, the party seeking to call the defense attorney must show that the testimony “is necessary and not merely relevant . . . .” (Emphasis added; internal quotation marks omitted.) Id., 717. Additionally, that party must demonstrate that it has exhausted “other available sources of [697]*697comparably probative evidence . . . .’’Id. In light of the rigorous nature of this standard, the trial court reasonably could have concluded that Kostecki would not be called as a witness and, therefore, that no potential conflict existed in that regard.
A trial judge cannot be expected to be prescient. He or she cannot, upon the record before the court prior to trial, evaluate all possible trial strategies and conclude that the defendant’s attorney has a conflict that would preclude him or her from pursuing the “best” strategy. Nor can the court be expected to know what witnesses are available to testify or what relevant facts must be presented. Many attorneys assist clients in making their confessions, and many attorneys properly insist on being present during a search that is likely to produce evidence of their client’s guilt. This alone, however, does not create an inherent conflict any more than does the fact that an attorney represents two defendants in the same trial. See Cuyler v. Sullivan, supra, 446 U.S. 346-47; Festo v. Luckart, supra, 191 Conn. 627.28 Before the trial court is charged with a duty to inquire, the evidence of a specific conflict must be sufficient to alert a reasonable trial judge that the defendant’s sixth amendment right to effective assistance of counsel is in jeopardy. The remote possibility that Kostecki could have been called as a witness does not constitute a potential conflict of which the court reasonably should have been aware.
Finally, the defendant asserts that the trial court should have been apprised of Kostecki’s potential conflict of interest because the state expressly had advised [698]*698the court of a conflict of interest.29 The facts, however, do not support that conclusion. A review of the state’s attorney’s comment to the court reveals that it was neither an objection to Kostecki’s representation of the defendant nor even an assertion that a conflict existed. Rather, it was a request by the state for time in which to evaluate whether Kostecki should remain as counsel and a request to set a date for a hearing in which to address the issue. The court did set a hearing date, but the record indicates that the prosecution never followed through in pursuing its potential objection. This may have left the court with the impression that the state had investigated the facts and the law, and had concluded that Kostecki’s representation was not problematic. This further supports the conclusion that there was insufficient evidence of apotential conflict to trigger the trial court’s duty to inquire.
Moreover, nothing in the prosecutor’s statement would have alerted the trial court that the possibility of a conflict, cognizable from the bare facts of Kostecki’s participation in the initial investigation, was likely to ripen into an actual conflict. The prosecutor’s statement [699]*699conveyed no more to the court than that which the court already knew. Had the prosecutor indicated that the state intended to call Kostecki as a witness or that it believed that Kostecki had engaged in some misconduct during the initial investigation that might jeopardize the effectiveness of his advocacy, we would be faced with a different situation. As the record stands, however, there was nothing in the prosecutor’s statement to indicate that Kostecki’s participation in the initial investigation was improper or likely to require his testimony and, therefore, create an actual conflict of interest.
In sum, we conclude that the defendant has not demonstrated from the record that the trial court should have known that a potential conflict existed either by virtue of Kostecki’s participation, at the behest of the defendant, in the initial investigation that led to the defendant’s arrest, or by virtue of the admission of the stipulation of facts. Therefore, there is nothing in the record to establish that the trial court was under a duty to inquire. Because there was no duty to inquire, the defendant has failed to show that a constitutional violation clearly existed and clearly deprived him of his constitutional right to a fair trial. Furthermore, the record is inadequate to prove the existence of an actual conflict of interest that actually prejudiced the defendant. If the defendant wishes to pursue his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, the proper forum in which to do so is a habeas corpus proceeding or by a petition for new trial in which a proper evidentiary record may be developed. State v. Munoz, supra, 233 Conn. 131 n.16; State v. Leecan, supra, 198 Conn. 541.
The judgment is affirmed.
In this opinion BORDEN, NORCOTT and PALMER, Js., concurred.