Hey, CRH....


So take the judge up on her notice that you can "assist," but not "speak for."


http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/c...nt06/10.html#1


Self-Representation


The Court has held that the Sixth Amendment, in addition to guaranteeing the right to retained or appointed counsel, also <U>guarantees a defendant the right to represent himself</U>.&It is a right the defendant must adopt knowingly and intelligently; under some circumstances the trial judge may deny the authority to exercise it, as when the defendant simply lacks the competence to make a knowing or intelligent waiver of counsel or when his self-representation is so disruptive of orderly procedures that the judge may curtail it.





The essential elements of self-representation were spelled out in McKaskle v. Wiggins,&a case involving the self-represented defendant's rights vis-a-vis ''standby counsel'' appointed by the trial court. The ''core of the Faretta right'' is that <U>the defendant ''is entitled to preserve actual control over the case he chooses to present to the jury,'</U>' and consequently, <U>standby counsel's participation ''should not be allowed to destroy the jury's perception that the defendant is representing himself.</U>'' 250 But participation of standby counsel even in the jury's presence and over the defendant's objection does not violate the defendant's Sixth Amendment rights when serving <U>the basic purpose of aiding the defendant in complying with routine courtroom procedures and protocols and thereby relieving the trial judge of these tasks.</U> 251


Me, again: The last sentence says it all about the "real" reason "they" keep telling us we "need" "lawyers."& It's not about "defending" us. It's what all here know: "Lawyers" are "officers of the court" and their primary function is to make sure the judge stays happy and doesn't have to do anything, that everything runs nice and smooth and no one gets upset, blah blah...


So brush up on court procedure and go kick ass!


Randy