City of Seattle v. Shaver

The defendant, Lydia Lopez Shaver, appeals from a conviction in Superior Court for failure to yield the right-of-way, claiming her constitutional rights at trial were violated by the court's refusal to permit her husband, a layman, to represent her in these criminal proceedings.

Issue

Does the sixth amendment to the United States Constitution grant a defendant the right to lay representation as "counsel"?

Facts

The defendant was charged for violation of Seattle Traffic Code 21.22.080(1), failure to yield right-of-way on making left turn into intersection, on September 9, 1977. The defendant was…