JAMES v. STATE (2025)

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.

Christopher JAMES, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.

No. 3D24-1202

Decided: May 21, 2025

Before LOGUE, C.J., and SCALES and BOKOR, JJ.

Christopher James, in proper person. James Uthmeier, Attorney General, and Daniel Colmenares, Assistant Attorney General, for appellee.

Affirmed. Graham v. State, 372 So. 2d 1363, 1366 (Fla. 1979) (“There is no absolute duty to appoint counsel for an indigent defendant in a post-conviction relief proceeding unless the application on its face reflects a colorable or justiciable issue or a meritorious grievance.”); Bowden v. State, 150 So. 3d 264, 266 (Fla. 1st DCA 2014) (“We find that a defendant may forfeit his right to counsel by egregious behavior.”); Jackson v. State, 2 So. 3d 1036, 1037 (Fla. 3d DCA 2009) (“[T]he trial court did not err in requiring Jackson to proceed without counsel. This is because his recalcitrance, antagonism and even personal attacks upon each of a lengthy series of court-appointed attorneys, all of whom were required to withdraw, rendered it obvious that he simply would not permit himself to be represented by anyone and amounted to a binding forfeiture or waiver of that right.”).

PER CURIAM.

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