NOT THE SHARPEST KNIFE IN THE DRAWER: A Lawyer Who Represents Himself Has Legal Representation: Appellate Court
The Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled that Orange County (CA) Superior Court Judge Richard W. Stanford Jr. did not deprive Harpreet Singh Brar of his right to counsel by allowing him to represent himself in a criminal tax avoidance case, reports Metropolitan News-Enterprise:
Brar, who was admitted to the State Bar in 2000, represented himself from Nov. 17, 2006 through his 2007 trial. At the time he waived his right to counsel, he completed a self-representation form and was questioned by the judge, confirming that he was licensed to practice law and did primarily civil work but had handled criminal cases.
Brar - who has since been disbarred for reasons unrelated to his conviction in the tax matter – was sentenced to 365 days in jail followed by five years’ probation, and ordered to pay more than $800,000 in restitution.
[Hat Tip: The Heel, an Ivy-educated attorney with a prestigious New York firm, and occasional contributor to this blog.]
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