State v. Lewis

WEBB, Judge.

Defendant first argues the trial court committed reversible error in refusing to allow him to dismiss his attorney and make his own final closing argument. After defendant’s attorney conceded in his closing argument that defendant was not totally innocent, defendant asked to be allowed to testify in his own defense. The court treated defendant’s request as a motion to reopen the evidence and denied it. In response, defendant stated that he preferred that his attorney “not to finish it anymore.” When the court stated that it would not allow defendant to make any statement to the…