City of Columbia v. Marie-Therese Assa'Ad-Faltas

Summary

The South Carolina Supreme Court affirmed Marie‑Therese Assa’ad‑Faltas’s simple‑assault conviction, holding that the municipal court did not err by failing to conduct a Faretta hearing because she never clearly and unequivocally invoked her right to self‑representation, and that the circuit court’s reliance on the Court’s own orders restricting her pro se filings did not constitute a Sixth‑Amendment violation. The Court emphasized that the right to self‑representation is not absolute and may be forfeited by a litigant who repeatedly abuses the judicial process.