Frederick J. X. Martin v. Donald W. Wyrick

LAY, Circuit Judge.

In Faretta v. California, 422 U.S. 806, 95 S.Ct. 2525, 45 L.Ed.2d 562 (1975), decided June 30, 1975, the Supreme Court held that a defendant has a constitutional right of self-representation in the conduct of his or her own defense in a criminal case. The Court declared that a defendant could not be forced to accept court-appointed counsel if a knowing and voluntary waiver of counsel has been made. Frederick Martin here maintains that the district court’s order granting him habeas corpus relief properly accorded Faretta a limited retroactive effect by applying the new…