Lane v. State
Lane v. State
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent from the Court’s decision to grant Thomas Robert Lane’s application for rehearing and to withdraw the opinion issued on May 27, 2011, and quash the writ. I disagree with the decision of the Court of Criminal Appeals that the trial court erred in removing Lane’s appointed counsel. I believe that the record will reflect that a conflict of interest or the potential for a conflict of interest existed and that the trial court properly granted the State’s motion to dismiss Lane’s appointed counsel. Moreover, if I were to determine that the trial court erred in dismissing Lane’s appointed counsel, I would conclude that the error was not structural. The proper inquiry is whether the indigent defendant suffered prejudice by the erroneous removal of court-appointed counsel. Cf. State v. Reeves, 11 So.3d 1031 (La. 2009); Daniels v. Lafler, 501 F.3d 735, 740 (6th Cir. 2007); and United States v. Basham, 561 F.3d 302 (4th Cir. 2009).
Opinion of the Court
On Application for Rehearing
APPLICATION FOR REHEARING GRANTED; OPINION OF MAY 27, 2011, WITHDRAWN; WRIT QUASHED.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Ex Parte State of Alabama. (In Re Thomas Robert LANE v. STATE of Alabama)
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published