Francois v. State

Gerard P. Francois (“the defendant”) appeals his convictions for aggravated battery and misdemeanor battery based on the trial court’s denial of his ore tenus motions for a continuance and for substitution of private counsel for his court-appointed counsel after the jury had been selected and sworn, and he also asks us to find ineffective assistance of his court-appointed counsel on the face of the record. Because we find that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by denying the motion for a continuance to obtain substitute counsel and that the defendant’s court-appointed counsel was…