Coronado v. Super Ct.
Defendant Juan Ramon Coronado, Jr., petitions this court to determine that the trial court acted improperly and without substantial evidence in disqualifying the public defender’s office from representing him in the current prosecution for capital murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Although we believe there is substantial evidence to show that the public defender’s office has a potential conflict of interest, we conclude that the trial court should have first informed defendant of this conflict and inquired whether he was willing to make a voluntary and knowing waiver of it. Accordingly, we grant the petition and remand the matter to the trial court with direction to make such an inquiry.
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