Criminal
Jul. 16, 2014
Criminal defense lawyer quits trial, then agrees to resume
Steven A. O'Connor said he'd made mistakes and wouldn't continue in the sanity phase of a Modesto murder trial. Though the issue now has been resolved, experts say he was caught between his obligations to his client and the court.
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Midway through a murder trial in Modesto last week, the defense attorney announced to the court that he'd made mistakes, had been incompetent and would not continue in the case.
"I'm not going to proceed in this case," Steven A. O'Connor told the judge, according to the Modesto Bee newspaper. "You can find me in contempt. You can notify the State Bar."
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