Florida District Courts of Appeal, 1978

Ford v. State

Ford v. State
Florida District Courts of Appeal · Decided December 27, 1978 · Cross, Dauksch, Moore
370 So. 2d 1161; 1978 Fla. App. LEXIS 17294 (Southern Reporter, Second Series)

Ford v. State

Opinion of the Court

PER CURIAM.

Affirmed.

CROSS and MOORE, JJ., concur. DAUKSCH, J., dissents with opinion.

Dissenting Opinion

DAUKSCH, Judge,

dissenting:

I respectfully dissent.

The public defender was appointed to represent these two appellants for trial. Due to inadequate preparation for trial the lawyer did not discover until after the trial had begun that a conflict of interests existed. His representation of the two accused persons prevented at least one of the accused brothers testifying about his involvement, or alleged lack thereof, in the crime. In my opinion, justice requires a reversal *1162and a new trial for both appellants. It is noted the same public defender who failed below urges his failure here. I wonder if he can be as objective on appeal as another lawyer might be. The continuing conflict might have caused this appeal not to have been argued as strenuously as it could have been. All of this goes to a constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel and a constitutional right to procedural due process before a valid conviction.

070rehearing

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

PER CURIAM.

Motion for rehearing is DENIED.

CROSS and MOORE, JJ., concur.

DAUKSCH, J., dissents.

Dissenting Opinion

DAUKSCH, Judge,

dissenting:

The opinion in this case is in conflict with Wilson v. State, 348 So.2d 10 (Fla. 4th DCA 1977) and Baker v. State, 202 So.2d 563 (Fla. 1967) and that is why I dissented and why I think we should grant rehearing and grant a new trial.

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