United States v. Roger Burnett

CARDAMONE, Circuit Judge:

Recognizing that all defendants are entitled to help at every stage of a criminal proceeding and that a lawyer, like a laborer, is worthy of hire, the Criminal Justice Act of 1964, 18 U.S.C. § 3006A (1988), provides for assignment of and payment to a lawyer representing an indigent defendant. This appeal presents a recurring problem of what the consequences should be when a lawyer files an inadequate Anders brief. 1

John J. Molloy, Esq. was trial counsel for defendant Roger Burnett during his trial on criminal charges in the United States District Court for the Western…