State of Connecticut v. Ernest Francis.

Summary

The court held that the Anders procedure is not required when counsel evaluates an indigent defendant's request to pursue a motion to correct an illegal sentence. Nevertheless, the trial court was required to appoint counsel to determine whether a sound basis existed for the motion, and it improperly relied on a conclusory assessment by counsel who was not appointed to represent the defendant personally. The denial of counsel was harmful because counsel might have identified a meritorious claim, so the case was remanded for appointment of counsel under the governing statutory procedure.