United States v. Garvin Dale White

TUTTLE, Circuit Judge:

The defendant-appellant, Garvin Dale White, was convicted of unlawfully and wil-fully escaping from the custody of a United States Marshal in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 751(a). Because we find that an actual conflict of interest existed between the defendant and his counsel and that the trial court took inadequate steps to assure that the defendant’s waiver of this conflict was knowing and voluntary, we reverse.

A

The defendant escaped from the City Jail of Shreveport, Louisiana, on November 1, 1980, while awaiting an appearance before a federal grand jury. At the time of…