Williams v. State
Williams v. State
Opinion of the Court
Scotty Williams appeals his convictions for burglary with a firearm, aggravated assault with a firearm, and robbery with a firearm. We reverse and remand for a new trial because the trial court failed to conduct an adequate Nelson
On the morning that jury selection was to begin, court-appointed counsel for Williams informed the court that Williams wanted to discharge counsel and ask the court for time to hire a private lawyer. Without making any inquiry as to the basis for the request, the trial court denied it, stating that Williams’ request was an ill-timed attempt to delay the case.
Because the trial court failed to ascertain a basis for Williams’ request to change attorneys, the denial of that request was an abuse of its discretion. See Rios v. State, 696 So.2d 469 (Fla. 2d DCA 1997) (reversing based on Nelson where the appellant was not given the opportunity to
Reversed and remanded for a new trial.
. Nelson v. State, 274 So.2d 256 (Fla. 4th DCA 1973).
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.