State v. White

WELLS, Judge.

Defendant argues that the trial court failed to make the thorough inquiry required by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1242 (1983) prior to permitting him to proceed to trial without the assistance of counsel and therefore he cannot be deemed to have made a knowing and voluntary waiver of his constitutional right to counsel and must be granted a new trial.

The pertinent facts are as follows: At defendant’s arraignment on 7 January 1985, defendant’s privately retained counsel, Janice Cole, requested to be allowed to withdraw as counsel for defendant because she had not been paid her fee. The…