Judge tells pro se murder defendant he'll get a lawyer if he can't follow trial rules
A pro se double-murder defendant can’t continue representing himself if he doesn’t follow the rules of criminal trial procedure, a Florida judge warned Friday after Khalid Pasha made series of statements instead of asking witnesses questions.
But, if Circuit Judge Kimberly Fernandez does indeed appoint a lawyer to represent the 69-year-old defendant, who says he’s doing the best he can to represent himself, it appears that this could potentially put him on the road toward another successful appeal.
The Tampa Tribune reported that, in 2010, the state supreme court reversed Pasha’s conviction and capital sentence for the 2002 slayings of his wife, Robin Canaday, 43, and stepdaughter, Ranesha Singleton, 20. It found that the defendant should have been allowed to fire his lawyer and represent himself at his 2007 trial.
Additional coverage:
Tampa Bay Times: “Florida Supreme Court overturns death sentences in grisly murder case”
Tampa Bay Times: “In Hillsborough court, murder suspect Khalid Pasha gets wish to defend himself “
