The People, Plaintiff and Respondent v. Daniel Loreto Noriega, Defendant and Appellant — Wekdegar, J., Dissenting

Summary

The dissent concludes that the trial court violated the California Constitution by removing Noriega’s appointed attorney over his objection and replacing him with new counsel. It reasons that Noriega had an established attorney-client relationship, the alleged conflict was minor and unrelated to the charged murder, and the record did not show that removal was necessary to ensure a fair trial. The dissent would protect an indigent defendant’s interest in continuous representation by appointed counsel under the state Constitution.