Although an indigent defendant does not have the right to pick the defendant's trial lawyer, the defendant is entitled to a lawyer with whom the defendant can communicate. The ability-to-communicate assessment is left to the reasoned discretion of the trial court. The court must make sufficient inquiry to ensure that a defendant is not cemented to a lawyer with whom full and fair communication is impossible; mere conclusions, unless adequately explained, will not fly. State v. Jones,
2007 WI App 248,
306 Wis. 2d 340,
742 N.W.2d 341,
07-0226.
There is no 6th amendment effective assistance of counsel right to subpoena police reports and other non-privileged materials prior to a preliminary examination. State v. Schaefer,
2008 WI 25,
308 Wis. 2d 279,
746 N.W.2d 457,
06-1826.
Wisconsin affords a convicted person the right to postconviction counsel. It would be absurd to suggest that a person has a right to counsel at trial and a right to counsel on appeal, but no right to the assistance of counsel at a postconviction proceeding in the circuit court, which is often the precursor to and augments the record for an appeal. State v. Peterson,
2008 WI App 140,
314 Wis. 2d 192,
757 N.W.2d 834,
07-1867.
A defendant does not have the right to be represented by: 1) an attorney the defendant cannot afford; 2) an attorney who is not willing to represent the defendant; 3) an attorney with a conflict of interest; or 4) an advocate who is not a member of the bar. State v. Peterson,
2008 WI App 140,
314 Wis. 2d 192,
757 N.W.2d 834,
07-1867.
The circuit court's decision to remove counsel of choice is discretionary. The court does not have unfettered freedom to deprive a defendant of retained counsel. Whether removal for conflict was proper rests on whether the court balanced the defendant's right to be represented by retained counsel against the court's interest in the appearance of fairness and diffusing what it characterized as a potential conflict. State v. Peterson,
2008 WI App 140,
314 Wis. 2d 192,
757 N.W.2d 834,
07-1867.
When making a determination whether to allow the defendant's counsel of choice to participate, the circuit court must balance the defendant's right to select counsel against the public's interest in the prompt and efficient administration of justice. Several factors assist the court in balancing the relevant interests, for example: the length of delay requested; whether competent counsel is presently available and prepared to try the case; whether prior continuances have been requested and received by the defendant; the inconvenience to the parties, witnesses, and the court; and whether the delay seems to be for legitimate reasons or whether its purpose is dilatory. State v. Prineas,
2009 WI App 28,
316 Wis. 2d 414,
766 N.W.2d 206,
07-1982.
A trial court has no duty to advise a defendant of the right to self-representation if the defendant has not clearly and unequivocally invoked the right to self-representation. State v. Darby,
2009 WI App 50,
317 Wis. 2d 478,
766 N.W.2d 770,
08-0935.
The fact that the government might know an informant hopes to receive a benefit as a result of providing information does not translate into an implicit agreement between the government and the informant if the informant is thereafter placed into an environment where incriminating information can be obtained. If there is hope, and nothing else, then the informant cannot be construed to be a government agent eliciting a statement in violation of the 6th amendment right to counsel. State v. Lewis,
2010 WI App 52,
324 Wis. 2d 536,
781 N.W.2d 730,
09-0429.
The police do not have a duty to bar charged defendants' visits with potential informants; indeed such a requirement would be unfair to prisoners. Also, when a person offers to assist the police, the police need not try to stop the person from providing assistance. As long as the police do nothing to direct or control or involve themselves in the questioning of a person in custody by a private citizen, such questioning does not violate the 5th or 6th amendments. State v. Lewis,
2010 WI App 52,
324 Wis. 2d 536,
781 N.W.2d 730,
09-0429.
Klessig,
211 Wis. 2d 194 (1997), is the controlling authority for determining whether a defendant validly waived the right to counsel. However, when the circuit court failed to engage a defendant in the four lines of inquiry as prescribed in
Klessig but determined that two of the four lines of inquiry were not satisfied, the circuit court did not commit automatic error requiring a new trial because the defendant could not have validly waived the defendant's right to counsel. State v. Imani,
2010 WI 66,
326 Wis. 2d 179,
786 N.W.2d 40,
08-1521. But see Imani v. Pollard,
826 F.3d 939 (2016).
Nothing bars a defendant from requesting substitution of counsel, nothing bars the public defender from choosing to make substitute counsel available, and nothing bars a court from granting such a request, but a court is not required by this section or by the
6th amendment to the U.S. Constitution to do so solely because a defendant requests it. State v. Jones,
2010 WI 72,
326 Wis. 2d 380,
797 N.W.2d 378,
08-2342.
A defendant's request to withdraw from self-representation and proceed with the assistance of counsel rests in the trial court's discretion. A request to reinstate the right to counsel is akin to a request for substitution of counsel. A trial court may err by denying a request to revoke pro se status when the denial is merely to punish the defendant or is based on a rigid insistence on expedition in the face of a justifiable request for delay. A trial court does not erroneously exercise its discretion by preventing a defendant from reasserting the right to counsel merely to hinder the progress of the case against him. State v. Rhodes,
2011 WI App 145,
337 Wis. 2d 594,
807 N.W.2d 1,
10-0435.
The right to select counsel of one's choice has been regarded as the root meaning of the constitutional guarantee. Deprivation of the right is complete when the defendant is erroneously prevented from being represented by the lawyer the defendant wants, regardless of the quality of the representation received. To disqualify an attorney as a witness in a case, the state must show that the attorney is a necessary witness. It was an error to disqualify an attorney based solely on the fact that the attorney acted as a translator for his client. State v. Gonzalez-Villarreal,
2012 WI App 110,
344 Wis. 2d 472,
824 N.W.2d 161,
11-1259.
In order to establish a 6th amendment violation on the basis of a conflict of interest, a defendant who did not raise an objection at trial must demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant's counsel had an actual conflict of interest based on the facts of the case. An actual conflict of interest exists when the defendant's attorney was actively representing a conflicting interest so that the attorney's performance was adversely affected. Counsel is considered per se ineffective once an actual conflict of interest adversely affecting counsel's performance has been shown. A defendant need not prove that some kind of specific adverse effect or harm resulted from the conflict. State v. Villarreal,
2013 WI App 33,
346 Wis. 2d 690,
828 N.W.2d 866,
11-0998.
A claim for ineffective assistance of postconviction counsel must be filed with the circuit court, either as a s. 974.06 motion or as a petition for a writ of habeas corpus. A defendant arguing ineffective assistance of appellate counsel, conversely, may not seek relief under s. 974.06 and must instead petition the court of appeals for a writ of habeas corpus. State v. Starks,
2013 WI 69,
349 Wis. 2d 274,
833 N.W.2d 146,
10-0425. But see State ex rel. Warren v. Meisner,
2020 WI 55,
392 Wis. 2d 1,
944 N.W.2d 588,
19-0567.
A defendant who argues that the defendant received ineffective assistance of appellate counsel in a habeas petition because certain arguments were not raised must show why the claims the defendant believes should have been raised on appeal were “clearly stronger" than the claims that were raised. State v. Starks,
2013 WI 69,
349 Wis. 2d 274,
833 N.W.2d 146,
10-0425.
Under
Padilla,
559 U.S. 356 (2010), counsel's failure to advise a defendant concerning clear deportation consequences of a plea bargain is prejudicial if the defendant shows that a decision to reject the plea bargain would have been rational under the circumstances. The defendant is not required to show that there would be a different outcome or that the defendant had real and viable challenges to the underlying veracity of the conviction. State v. Mendez,
2014 WI App 57,
354 Wis. 2d 88,
847 N.W.2d 895,
13-1862. But see State v. Shata,
2015 WI 74,
364 Wis. 2d 63,
868 N.W.2d 93,
13-1437.
The court where an alleged ineffective assistance of counsel occurred is the proper forum in which to seek relief unless that forum is unable to provide the relief necessary to address the ineffectiveness claim. The remedy for an attorney's failure to file a notice of intent to pursue postconviction relief is an extension of the timeframe to file the notice. Because the circuit court is without authority to extend the deadline to file a notice of intent to pursue postconviction relief, the proper forum lies in the court of appeals. State ex rel. Kyles v. Pollard,
2014 WI 38,
354 Wis. 2d 626,
847 N.W.2d 805,
12-0378.
Failure to call a potential witness may constitute deficient performance. A failure to call a key witness, however, does not always necessarily constitute deficient performance. The failure to call a witness may have been a reasonable trial strategy. State v. Jenkins,
2014 WI 59,
355 Wis. 2d 180,
848 N.W.2d 786,
12-0046.
Montejo,
556 U.S. 778 (2009), effectively established that a waiver of
Miranda,
384 U.S. 436 (1966), rights is sufficient to waive the 6th amendment right to counsel and that such a waiver is not presumed invalid merely because the defendant is already represented by counsel. This section does not provide greater protections than the
6th amendment of the U.S. Constitution in the context of a waiver of the right to have counsel present during questioning. State v. Delebreau,
2015 WI 55,
362 Wis. 2d 542,
864 N.W.2d 852,
13-1108.
The U.S. Supreme Court in
Edwards,
554 U.S. 164 (2008), declined to adopt a federal constitutional competency standard and specifically recognized an individual trial court's authority to make competency determinations. Nothing in
Edwards establishes severe mental illness as the only circumstance in which a trial judge may deny the right of self-representation. The Wisconsin standards established by
Klessig,
211 Wis. 2d 194 (1997), are not contrary to
Edwards. Whether a defendant is competent to proceed pro se is uniquely a question for the trial court to determine. State v. Jackson,
2015 WI App 45,
363 Wis. 2d 484,
867 N.W.2d 814,
13-2859.
Trial counsel did not perform deficiently by failing to inform the defendant that his no-contest plea to substantial battery was certain to result in his deportation and permanent exclusion from the United States. Because federal immigration law is not “succinct, clear, and explicit" in providing that the defendant's substantial battery constituted a crime involving moral turpitude, the defendant's attorney needed to do no more than advise him that pending criminal charges may carry a risk of adverse immigration consequences. State v. Ortiz-Mondragon,
2015 WI 73,
364 Wis. 2d 1,
866 N.W.2d 717,
13-2435.
Any language in
Mendez,
2014 WI App 57, that suggests that
Padilla,
559 U.S. 356 (2010), requires an attorney to advise an alien client that a conviction for a deportable offense will necessarily result in deportation is withdrawn. An attorney is required to “give correct advice" about the possible immigration consequences of a conviction. The attorney in this case satisfied that requirement by correctly advising the client that his guilty plea carried a “strong chance" of deportation. Executive action, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's exercise of prosecutorial discretion, can block the deportation of deportable aliens. State v. Shata,
2015 WI 74,
364 Wis. 2d 63,
868 N.W.2d 93,
13-1437.
Counsel's trial strategy decisions, even those appearing unwise in hindsight, will not constitute ineffective assistance of counsel so long as they are reasonably founded on the facts and law under the circumstances existing at the time the decision was made. It was not unreasonable for defendant's counsel to allow an investigator to testify that the victim was telling the truth when counsel's goal was to demonstrate that the investigator's investigation was limited due to the investgator's bias. State v. Smith,
2016 WI App 8,
366 Wis. 2d 613,
874 N.W.2d 610,
14-2653.
Under
Felton,
110 Wis. 2d 485 (1983), trial counsel's decisions must be based upon facts and law upon which an ordinarily prudent lawyer would have then relied. This standard implies deliberateness, caution, and circumspection, and counsel's decision must evince reasonableness under the circumstances. When counsel articulated no tactical reason implying deliberateness, caution, and circumspection for failing to call a witness and the record was devoid of any factual basis for a strategy that supported that failure, defense counsel's performance was deficient. State v. Honig,
2016 WI App 10,
366 Wis. 2d 681,
874 N.W.2d 589,
14-2968.
The 6th amendment's guarantee of effective assistance of counsel does not require defense counsel to inform a defendant about the possibility of civil commitment under ch. 980 when the defendant enters a plea to a sexually violent offense. State v. LeMere,
2016 WI 41,
368 Wis. 2d 624,
879 N.W.2d 580,
13-2433.
Physical separation between a defendant and the defendant's attorney during a plea hearing, absent more, will not be analyzed as a complete denial of the right to counsel under
Cronic,
466 U.S. 648 (1984). Such a claim may instead be analyzed under the framework set forth in
Strickland,
466 U.S. 668 (1984). State v. Anderson,
2017 WI App 17,
374 Wis. 2d 372,
896 N.W.2d 364,
15-2611.
Failure to raise arguments that require the resolution of unsettled legal questions generally does not render a lawyer's services outside the wide range of professionally competent assistance sufficient to satisfy the 6th amendment. State v. Lemberger,
2017 WI 39,
374 Wis. 2d 617,
893 N.W.2d 232,
15-1452.
The standard to use in forfeiture of trial counsel cases established under
Cummings,
199 Wis. 2d 721 (1996), is upheld. There are two situations when a defendant loses the right to counsel: 1) a defendant may knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waive the right to counsel; and 2) a defendant may forfeit the right to counsel. The triggering event for forfeiture is when the court becomes convinced that the orderly and efficient progression of the case is being frustrated. State v. Suriano,
2017 WI 42,
374 Wis. 2d 683,
893 N.W.2d 543,
15-0959.
Scenarios triggering forfeiture of the right to trial counsel include: 1) a defendant's manipulative and disruptive behavior; 2) withdrawal of multiple attorneys based on a defendant's consistent refusal to cooperate with any of them and constant complaints about the attorneys' performance; 3) a defendant whose attitude is defiant and whose choices repeatedly result in delay, interfering with the process of justice; and 4) physical or verbal abuse directed at counsel or the court. State v. Suriano,
2017 WI 42,
374 Wis. 2d 683,
893 N.W.2d 543,
15-0959.
The contention that a defendant cannot forfeit the right to counsel unless the defendant's actions were done with an intent or purpose to delay is rejected. Contrary language in
Coleman,
2002 WI App 100, and any other case requiring proof of intentional, purposeful delay is overruled. State v. Suriano,
2017 WI 42,
374 Wis. 2d 683,
893 N.W.2d 543,
15-0959.
Shata,
2015 WI 74, and
Ortiz-Mondragon,
2015 WI 73, stand for the proposition that, when the law is not “succinct, clear, and explicit,” counsel is not deficient by accurately warning a client of the “risk of adverse immigration consequences.” Defendant's counsel had no constitutional duty to give specific, direct advice on how pleading guilty would affect the defendant's possibilities for readmission beyond the accurate, generalized warnings that were given. State v. Villegas,
2018 WI App 9,
380 Wis. 2d 246,
908 N.W.2d 198,
15-2162.
Circuit courts reviewing claims of ineffective assistance of counsel following multiple-count trials may conclude that deficient performance prejudiced only one of the multiple convictions.
Strickland,
466 U.S. 668 (1984), clearly contemplates such a result and does not require reversal on all counts when the prejudice proven affected only a single count. State v. Sholar,
2018 WI 53,
381 Wis. 2d 560,
912 N.W.2d 89,
16-0897.
The
Strickland,
466 U.S. 668 (1984), prejudice test is distinct from a sufficiency of the evidence test. A defendant need not prove the outcome would more likely than not be different in order to establish prejudice in ineffective assistance cases. The defendant must prove there is a reasonable probability the jury would have acquitted the defendant absent the error. State v. Sholar,
2018 WI 53,
381 Wis. 2d 560,
912 N.W.2d 89,
16-0897.
Counsel must either reasonably investigate the law and facts or make a reasonable strategic decision that makes any further investigation unnecessary. The court reviews the reasonableness of trial counsel's decisions not with the benefit of hindsight, but in the context of the circumstances as they existed at the time counsel made the decisions. The court must consider the law and the facts as they existed when trial counsel's conduct occurred. State v. Pico,
2018 WI 66,
382 Wis. 2d 273,
914 N.W.2d 95,
15-1799.
To prove prejudice in a case alleging ineffective assistance of counsel, a defendant must establish that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. In the context of a plea withdrawal, a defendant must establish, through objective factual assertions, a reasonable probability that the defendant would not have pled and would have gone to trial but for counsel's ineffective performance. State v. Jeninga,
2019 WI App 14,
386 Wis. 2d 336,
925 N.W.2d 574,
18-0826.
A court's conclusion that counsel violated the rules of professional conduct because counsel failed to meet the demands of SCR 20:1.4 (a) (2) cannot mean, ipso facto, that counsel performed deficiently within the meaning of
Strickland,
466 U.S. 668 (1984). State v. Cooper,
2019 WI 73,
387 Wis. 2d 439,
929 N.W.2d 192,
16-0375.
When an alleged deficiency in counsel concerns the plea process,
Hill,
474 U.S. 52 (1985), says the prejudice component specifically requires that the defendant must show that there is a reasonable probability that, but for the counsel's errors, the defendant would not have pleaded guilty and would have insisted on going to trial. A probability sufficient to undermine confidence exists when there is a “substantial,” not just “conceivable,” likelihood of a different result. When defendant's counsel stated that, if the court were to allow the defendant to withdraw his plea, he still might decide to enter a plea, there is not a substantial likelihood of a different result, and, therefore, there is no prejudice shown. State v. Cooper,
2019 WI 73,
387 Wis. 2d 439,
929 N.W.2d 192,
16-0375.
The
Knight,
168 Wis. 2d 509 (1992)/
Rothering,
205 Wis. 2d 675 (1996), framework remains the correct methodology for determining the appropriate forum for a criminal defendant to file a claim relating to the alleged ineffectiveness of counsel after conviction. Both
Knight and
Rothering premise their decisions on the forum in which the alleged ineffectiveness took place. Applying this framework, the circuit court is the appropriate forum for a claim that postconviction counsel is ineffective for failing to assert an ineffective trial counsel claim. State ex rel. Warren v. Meisner,
2020 WI 55,
392 Wis. 2d 1,
944 N.W.2d 588,
19-0567.
To satisfy the first prong of an ineffective assistance of counsel claim, a defendant must establish, based on the totality of the circumstances, that counsel's performance fell below an objective standard of reasonableness. Courts afford great deference to trial counsel's conduct, presuming that it falls within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance. In this case, counsel did not provide ineffective assistance in failing to inform the defendant about legal precedent that does not provide the defendant with a defense. State v. Savage,
2020 WI 93,
395 Wis. 2d 1,
951 N.W.2d 838,
19-0090.
Strategic choices made after less than complete investigation are reasonable only to the extent that reasonable professional judgment supports the limitations on the investigation. Here, trial counsel was aware of the victim's prior allegedly false statement about the victim's cousin. Counsel understood that prior false allegations were admissible pursuant to an exception to the rape shield law, and in any event, that exception was not an unsettled or obscure area of the law. Trial counsel's unsupported assumption that evidence of the prior allegation would be inadmissible was therefore not a reasonable strategic decision and was not entitled to any deference. As such, trial counsel did not provide a reasonable strategic reason not to seek and introduce evidence of the victim's prior allegedly false statement regarding the victim's cousin. Accordingly, although counsel's overall strategy was reasonable, counsel's implementation of it was not, and counsel's omissions constituted deficient performance. State v. Stroik,
2022 WI App 11,
401 Wis. 2d 150,
972 N.W.2d 640,
21-0447.
When a defendant raises a postconviction challenge to a guilty or no contest plea, the court has adopted a default procedure and an alternate procedure. The default procedure, articulated in
Bentley,
201 Wis. 2d 303 (1996), places the burden on the defendant to prove a plea's deficiency. The alternate procedure, articulated in
Bangert,
131 Wis. 2d 246 (1986), applies when the defendant makes a pointed showing of an error in the plea colloquy by reference to the plea colloquy transcript. Under the
Bangert procedure, after the defendant identifies a deficiency, the burden shifts to the state to prove the conviction's sufficiency. If a defendant collaterally attacking a prior operating while intoxicated/prohibited alcohol concentration conviction cannot point to a defect in the relevant transcript, the burden-shifting procedure under
Bangert does not apply. Instead, the defendant must carry the burden to demonstrate that a violation occurred. State v. Clark,
2022 WI 21,
401 Wis. 2d 344,
972 N.W.2d 533,
20-1058.
A defendant is entitled to a
Machner,
92 Wis. 2d 797 (1979), hearing only when the defendant's motion alleges sufficient facts, which if true, would entitle the defendant to relief. However, if the motion does not raise facts sufficient to entitle the defendant to relief, or if it presents only conclusory allegations, or if the record conclusively demonstrates that the defendant is not entitled to relief, the circuit court has the discretion to grant or deny a hearing. In this case, the defendant's counsel did not perform deficiently by withdrawing a request for a self-defense instruction, and the circuit court did not erroneously exercise its discretion by denying the defendant's motion without an evidentiary hearing. State v. Ruffin,
2022 WI 34,
401 Wis. 2d 619,
974 N.W.2d 432,
19-1046. See also State v. Spencer,
2022 WI 56,
403 Wis. 2d 86,
976 N.W.2d 383,
18-0942; State v. Jackson,
2023 WI 3,
405 Wis. 2d 458,
983 N.W.2d 608,
20-2119.
In this case, the defendant's 6th amendment right to counsel was not violated because the defendant's co-inmate was not acting as a state agent when the inmate recorded the inmate's conversations with the defendant. State v. Arrington,
2022 WI 53,
402 Wis. 2d 675,
976 N.W.2d 453,
19-2065.
The 6th amendment right to counsel attaches at all critical stages of the criminal process. The U.S. Supreme Court has recognized as critical stages those steps of a criminal proceeding that involve some adversarial confrontation. Wisconsin courts have determined that voir dire, jury instructions, and jury deliberations constitute critical stages at which the right to counsel attaches. In this case, the judge's ex parte meeting with a juror regarding the juror's health did not constitute a critical stage of the proceedings because the meeting: 1) occurred prior to deliberations; and 2) involved only a discussion of the juror's health and ability to proceed. Both the timing and substance of the communications dictated that counsel's absence did not result in a constitutional violation. State v. Spencer,
2022 WI 56,
403 Wis. 2d 86,
976 N.W.2d 383,
18-0942.
Defense counsel waiving opening statement is an acceptable trial strategy. In this case, trial counsel did not know how or even whether the defendant would testify, so it was perfectly reasonable for counsel to waive the opening statement and avoid making promises to the jury counsel could not keep. Trial counsel was not ineffective for choosing to waive opening statement. State v. Hineman,
2023 WI 1,
405 Wis. 2d 233,
983 N.W.2d 652,
20-0226.
To succeed on a claim under
McCoy, 584 U.S. ___,
138 S. Ct. 1500 (2018), a defendant must show that: 1) the defendant expressly asserted that the objective of the defense was to maintain innocence of the charged criminal acts; and 2) the lawyer did not abide by that objective and overrode it by conceding guilt. In this case, the defendant's constitutional right to maintain innocence as the objective of the defendant's defense to a sexual assault charge was not violated when trial counsel told the jury that the alleged sexual contact had occurred but that it was accidental and with no intent to get sexual gratification. State v. Tung,
2023 WI App 33,
408 Wis. 2d 544,
993 N.W.2d 706,
21-1705.
A preliminary hearing to determine probable cause for detention pending further proceedings is not a “critical stage" in a prosecution requiring appointed counsel. Gerstein v. Pugh,
420 U.S. 103,
95 S. Ct. 854,
43 L. Ed. 2d 54 (1975).
When the defendant's right to counsel was violated by a corporeal identification conducted in court without counsel, the prosecution could not introduce identification evidence even though the identification had an independent source. Moore v. Illinois,
434 U.S. 220,
98 S. Ct. 458,
54 L. Ed. 2d 424 (1977).
The right to counsel was not violated when a permissible jury instruction, intended for the defendant's benefit, was given over defense counsel's objections. Lakeside v. Oregon,
435 U.S. 333,
98 S. Ct. 1091,
55 L. Ed. 2d 319 (1978).
An indigent defendant is not entitled to appointed counsel when charged with an offense for which imprisonment is authorized but not imposed. Scott v. Illinois,
440 U.S. 367,
99 S. Ct. 1158,
59 L. Ed. 2d 383 (1979).
In order to demonstrate a violation of the right to counsel, the defendant must establish that an actual conflict of interest adversely affected the counsel's performance. Cuyler v. Sullivan,
446 U.S. 335,
100 S. Ct. 1708,
64 L. Ed. 2d 333 (1980).
The government violated the defendant's right to counsel by placing a paid informant in the same cell who deliberately elicited incriminating statements. United States v. Henry,
447 U.S. 264,
100 S. Ct. 2183,
65 L. Ed. 2d 115 (1980).
Since a criminal defendant has no constitutional right to counsel to pursue a discretionary state appeal, the defendant could not be deprived of effective counsel by counsel's failure to timely file an application for certiorari. Wainwright v. Torna,
455 U.S. 586,
102 S. Ct. 1300,
71 L. Ed. 2d 475 (1982).
Without surrounding circumstances making it unlikely that the defendant received effective assistance of counsel, a claim of ineffective assistance must be supported by demonstrating specific errors made by trial counsel. United States v. Cronic,
466 U.S. 648,
104 S. Ct. 2039,
80 L. Ed. 2d 657 (1984).
To support a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, the defendant must show a probability, sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome, that but for counsel's unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. Strickland v. Washington,
466 U.S. 668,
104 S. Ct. 2052,
80 L. Ed. 2d 674 (1984).
Indigent inmates held in administrative segregation during the investigation of a prison murder were not entitled to counsel prior to the initiation of adversary judicial proceedings against them. United States v. Gouveia,
467 U.S. 180,
104 S. Ct. 2292,
81 L. Ed. 2d 146 (1984).
An accused's postrequest responses to further interrogation may not be used to cast retrospective doubt on the clarity of an initial request for counsel. Smith v. Illinois,
469 U.S. 91,
105 S. Ct. 490,
83 L. Ed. 2d 488 (1984).
The right to assistance of counsel wasn't violated when an attorney refused to cooperate with the defendant in presenting perjured testimony at trial. Nix v. Whiteside,
475 U.S. 157,
106 S. Ct. 988,
89 L. Ed. 2d 123 (1986).
Because an individual has no underlying constitutional right to appointed counsel in state collateral postconviction proceedings, the individual may not insist upon implementation of
Anders,
386 U.S. 738 (1967), procedures. Pennsylvania v. Finley,
481 U.S. 551,
107 S. Ct. 1990,
95 L. Ed. 2d 539 (1987).
Though the trial court must recognize the presumption that a defendant is entitled to the defendant's counsel of choice, the presumption is overcome by actual conflict and a serious potential for actual conflict. Wheat v. United States,
486 U.S. 153,
108 S. Ct. 1692,
100 L. Ed. 2d 140 (1988).
The right to counsel was not violated by the court's instruction to the defendant that he not confer with his attorney during a 15 minute recess between the defendant's direct and cross-examination. Perry v. Leeke,
488 U.S. 272,
109 S. Ct. 594,
102 L. Ed. 2d 624 (1989).
The 6th amendment right to counsel is offense specific. An accused's invocation of this right during a judicial proceeding did not constitute an invocation of the right to counsel under
Miranda,
384 U.S. 436 (1966), arising from the 5th amendment guarantees against self incrimination in regard to police questioning concerning a separate offense. McNeil v. Wisconsin,
501 U.S. 171,
111 S. Ct. 2204,
115 L. Ed. 2d 158 (1991).
An uncounseled misdemeanor conviction, valid because no prison term was imposed, is also valid when used to enhance punishment upon a subsequent conviction. Nichols v. United States,
511 U.S. 738,
114 S. Ct. 1921,
128 L. Ed. 2d 745 (1994).
To void a conviction due to a 6th amendment violation when a trial court has failed to inquire into a potential conflict of interest that the court knew or should have known of, the defendant must establish that the conflict adversely affected counsel's performance. Failure of the trial court to inquire into the conflict did not reduce the defendant's burden of proof. Mickens v. Taylor,
535 U.S. 162,
122 S. Ct. 1237,
152 L. Ed. 2d 291 (2002).
The 6th amendment right to counsel of choice commands, not that a trial be fair, but that a particular guarantee of fairness be provided, to wit, that the accused be defended by the counsel the accused believes to be best. When that right is violated because the deprivation of counsel is erroneous, no additional showing of prejudice is required to make the violation complete, and the violation is not subject to harmless-error analysis. United States v. Gonzalez-Lopez,
548 U.S. 140,
126 S. Ct. 2557,
165 L. Ed. 2d 409 (2006).
The U.S. Constitution does not forbid a state to insist that the defendant proceed to trial with counsel when the state court found the defendant mentally competent to stand trial if represented by counsel but not mentally competent to conduct that trial himself. Indiana v. Edwards,
554 U.S. 164,
128 S. Ct. 2379,
171 L. Ed. 2d 345 (2008).
The right to counsel applies at the first appearance before a judicial officer at which a defendant is told of the formal accusation against the defendant and restrictions are imposed on the defendant's liberty. Attachment of the right does not require that a public prosecutor as distinct from a police officer be aware of that initial proceeding or involved in its conduct. Rothgery v. Gillespie County,
554 U.S. 191,
128 S. Ct. 2578,
171 L. Ed. 2d 366 (2008).
A defendant's incriminating statement to a jailhouse informant, concededly elicited in violation of the 6th amendment right to counsel, was admissible at trial to impeach the defendant's conflicting statement. Kansas v. Ventris,
556 U.S. 586,
129 S. Ct. 1841,
173 L. Ed. 2d 801 (2009).
Jackson,
475 U.S. 625 (1986), which provided that if police initiate interrogation after the defendant's assertion of the right to counsel, any waiver of the defendant's right to counsel for that police-initiated interrogation is invalid, is overruled. Courts are not required to presume that such a waiver is invalid under those circumstances. Montejo v. Louisiana,
556 U.S. 778,
129 S. Ct. 2079,
173 L. Ed. 2d 955 (2009).
Counsel has an obligation to advise a defendant that a guilty plea will result in the defendant's deportation from this country. Advice regarding deportation is not categorically removed from the ambit of the 6th amendment right to counsel. When the deportation consequence is truly clear, the duty to give correct advice is equally clear. Padilla v. Kentucky,
559 U.S. 356,
130 S. Ct. 1473,
176 L. Ed. 2d 284 (2010).
As a general rule, defense counsel has the duty to communicate formal offers from the prosecution to accept a plea on terms and conditions that may be favorable to the accused. When defense counsel allowed an offer to expire without advising the defendant or allowing the defendant to consider it, defense counsel did not render the effective assistance the constitution requires. Missouri v. Frye,
566 U.S. 134,
132 S. Ct. 1399,
182 L. Ed. 2d 379 (2012).
When ineffective advice led to rejection of a plea offer and caused the defendant to stand trial, rather than to waive the right to trial, the defendant must show that but for the ineffective advice of counsel there is a reasonable probability that the plea offer would have been presented to the court, that the court would have accepted its terms, and that the conviction or sentence, or both, under the offer's terms would have been less severe than under the judgment and sentence that were imposed. Lafler v. Cooper,
566 U.S. 156,
132 S. Ct. 1376,
182 L. Ed. 2d 398 (2012).
When a defendant claims that the defendant's counsel's deficient performance deprived the defendant of a trial by causing the defendant to accept a plea, the defendant can show prejudice by demonstrating a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's errors, the defendant would not have pleaded guilty and would have insisted on going to trial. The court rejected a per se rule that a defendant with no viable defense cannot show prejudice from the denial of the right to trial. The decision whether to plead guilty involves assessing the respective consequences of a conviction after trial and by plea. But for his attorney's incompetence, the defendant would have known that accepting the plea agreement in this case would certainly have led to deportation while going to trial would “almost” certainly have done so. If deportation were the determinative issue for an individual in plea discussions, and if the consequences of taking a chance at trial were not markedly harsher than pleading, that “almost” could make all the difference. Lee v. United States,
582 U.S. 357,
137 S. Ct. 1958,
198 L. Ed. 2d 476 (2017).
A violation of the right to a public trial is a structural error. In the case of a structural error when there is an objection at trial and the issue is raised on direct appeal, the defendant generally is entitled to automatic reversal regardless of the error's actual effect on the outcome. When a defendant raises a public-trial violation via an ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claim,
Strickland,
466 U.S. 668 (1984), prejudice is not shown automatically. Instead, the burden is on the defendant to show either a reasonable probability of a different outcome in the defendant's case or to show that the particular public-trial violation was so serious as to render the trial fundamentally unfair. Weaver v. Massachusetts,
582 U.S. 286,
137 S. Ct. 1899,
198 L. Ed. 2d 420 (2017).
Counsel may not admit a client's guilt of a charged crime over the client's intransigent objection to that admission. To do so violates a defendant's right to autonomy and constitutes a structural error that requires automatic reversal. McCoy v. Louisiana, 584 U.S. ___,
138 S. Ct. 1500,
200 L. Ed. 2d 821 (2018).
Under
Flores-Ortega,
528 U.S. 470 (2000), when an attorney's deficient performance costs a defendant an appeal that the defendant would have otherwise pursued, prejudice to the defendant should be presumed with no further showing from the defendant of the merits of the defendant's underlying claims. That presumption of prejudice applies regardless of whether the defendant has signed an appeal waiver. Garza v. Idaho, 586 U.S. ___,
139 S. Ct. 738,
203 L. Ed. 2d 77 (2019).
When postconviction counsel failed to assert a claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel in a postconviction motion under s. 974.02, the defendant's opportunity to argue that claim on direct appeal was foreclosed. The appropriate forum for asserting ineffective assistance of postconviction counsel for failure to raise ineffective assistance of trial counsel was in a collateral motion under s. 974.06. Page v. Frank,
343 F.3d 901 (2003).
