People v. Mirenda

OPINION OF THE COURT

Chief Judge Cooke.

This appeal raises the question whether the trial • court erred in refusing to appoint standby counsel to assist defendant in presenting his own defense. A criminal defendant has a constitutional right to be represented by counsel, or to proceed pro se. A defendant has no constitutional right, however, to the assistance of a lawyer while conducting a pro se defense. The order of the Appellate Division, therefore, should be affirmed.

Defendant was convicted, after a jury trial, of three counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the first degree,…