Wheat v. United States

The issue in this case is whether the District Court erred in declining petitioner’s waiver of his right to conflict-free counsel and by refusing to permit petitioner’s proposed substitution of attorneys.

I

Petitioner Mark Wheat, along with numerous codefend-ants, was charged with participating in a far-flung drug distribution conspiracy. Over a period of several years, many thousands of pounds of marijuana were transported from Mexico and other locations to southern California. Petitioner acted primarily as an intermediary in the distribution ring; he received and stored large shipments of…