P. v. Clark CA3
Defendants in criminal cases have a federal constitutional right to represent themselves when they voluntarily and intelligently elect to do so. (Faretta v. California (1975) 422 U.S. 806, 807, 819-820, 835-836 [45 L.Ed.2d 562] (Faretta).) After defendant David Arron Clark opted to represent himself, a jury found him guilty of assault with a deadly weapon (Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (a)(1); statutory section references that follow are to the Penal Code unless otherwise stated) and willful infliction of corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition upon a cohabitant (§ 273.5, subd. (a)). The jury also found true the allegation that he used a deadly weapon—a wooden bat. (§ 12022, subd. (b)(1).) Following the appointment of counsel, the trial court sentenced him to an aggregate term of four years in prison but suspended execution of sentence and placed him on probation for three years.
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