State v. Richardson

I am not concerned over the failure to have counsel appointed for petitioner at the time of his preliminary examination. This court has consistently held that the preliminary hearing is not a critical stage in the trial process (see cases cited in the courts majority opinion) and I see nothing in the circumstances of this case which would warrant any deviation from our previous holdings.

Nor do I discern any infringement upon the petitioner’s basic rights simply because he negotiated with the county attorney without benefit of counsel. This is a common practice, frequently employed by habitual…