No. 19-6735

Kwok Cheung Chow, aka Raymond Chow, aka Ha Jai v. United States

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2019-11-22
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: constitutional-principles counsel-of-choice courtroom-closure government-interest governmental-interest harmless-error overriding-interest public-trial right-to-counsel sixth-amendment
Latest Conference: 2020-01-10
Question Presented (from Petition)

1. In Presley v. Georgia, 558 U.S. 209 (2010), this Court held the right to a public trial in criminal cases extends to the entire trial, and any closure must be justified by an overriding governmental interest. Given that holding, have the federal courts of appeals undermined these constitutional principles by adopting a test that requires a lesser governmental interest to justify a closure that is deemed "partial."

2. The qualified right to counsel of choice is both the core of the Sixth Amendment right to counsel, and independent of the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of a fair trial. Accordingly, can the denial of counsel of choice occurring during post-trial proceedings be evaluated for harmless error?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether federal courts have undermined the constitutional principles of the right to a public trial by adopting a test that requires a lesser governmental interest to justify a 'partial' closure

Docket Entries

2020-01-13
Petition DENIED. Justice Breyer took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.
2019-12-12
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/10/2020.
2019-12-04
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2019-11-18
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due December 23, 2019)

Attorneys

Kwok Cheung aka Raymond Chow
Karen L. LandauLaw Office of Karen L. Landau, P.C., Petitioner
United States
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent