William A. Sundel v. Justices of the Superior Court of the State of Rhode Island

BREYER, Circuit Judge.

William Sundel was tried in Rhode Island state court on serious drug charges. David Breitbart, a New York lawyer, appeared pro hac vice to defend him, along with “associate” (or “local”) counsel John O’Neill. O’Neill also represented Sundel s codefendant. During the course of pretrial proceedings, the trial judge began to fear that Breitbart’s representation of his client was inadequate, perhaps because of Breit-bart’s ignorance of local rules and procedures. On the first day of trial, after observing Breitbart’s efforts to cross-examine the policeman who had seized the…