State v. Benson

Citations

• 235 Conn. App. 594

Syllabus

The defendant appealed from the trial court's judgment rendered in accor- dance with his pleas of guilty to, inter alia, the crimes of possession of narcotics with intent to sell, criminal possession of a pistol or revolver, and failure to appear in the first degree. He claimed, inter alia, that the court violated his right to self-representation under the sixth amendment to the United States constitution by failing to canvass him pursuant to the rule of practice (§ 44-3) after he clearly and unequivocally asserted that he wanted to represent himself. Held: The defendant's unpreserved claim that the trial court violated his constitu- tional right to self-representation by failing to canvass him pursuant to Practice Book § 44-3 failed under the third prong of State v. Golding (213 Conn. 233), as the defendant's isolated statement, when viewed in context and considering the totality of the circumstances surrounding the request, was not a clear and unequivocal invocation of his right to self-representation, obligating the court to conduct a canvass. Argued June 5—officially released October 7, 2025