Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Emergency Petition for Writ of Mandamus or Prohibition
Emergency Petition for Writ of Mandamus or Prohibition
STATE OF FLORIDA,
RICHARD WALSH
KELLI LYNCH,
DEFENDANT
RUSTY MILLER,
NON-PARTY
Petitioners.
Law enforcement arrived, and Ms. Lynch was escorted to the finance office
to sign papers finalizing the vehicle's sale. Believing she was merely
picking up a car, she began filling out paperwork but, overwhelmed by the
unexpected level of involvement, attempted to abandon the crime and
leave, consistent with the defense of abandonment as established in Model
Penal Code § 5.01(4). She, along with the co-defendant who had
accompanied her, was subsequently arrested.
Earlier that day, Ms. Lynch had a prescription for her roommate, containing
the full amount of prescribed pills. The co-defendant's false statement to
authorities potentially contributed to the charges against her.
However, Mr. Mills failed to attend pretrial hearings and faced criticism from
the State Attorney and the judge for his handling of the case, violating Ms.
Lynch's right to effective counsel as guaranteed in Strickland v.
Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984).
Mr. Miller's concerns stemmed from Mr. Mills' unorthodox handling of the
case, including limited communication with Ms. Lynch and only responding
to Mr. Miller regarding legal fees. Mr. Miller's presence during strategic
discussions and his witness to the plea negotiation further highlight Mr.
Mills' ineffective counsel.
The sentencing hearing shocked Ms. Lynch and Mr. Miller due to the
discrepancy between Mr. Mills' representations and the outcome. The
judge, possibly unaware of Mr. Miller's involvement initially, later accused
him of crimes and threatened Ms. Lynch with 80 years if she listened to his
advice, violating Mr. Miller's due process rights and creating a coercive
atmosphere as seen in State v. Glisson, 285 So. 3d 982 (Fla. 4th DCA
2019).
The State Attorney's failure to disclose the exculpatory prescription and the
misattribution of evidence constitute Brady and Giglio violations,
respectively, undermining the fairness of the proceedings and violating Ms.
Lynch's due process rights, as established in Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S.
83 (1963) and Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150 (1972).
During the legal proceedings, Judge Madrigal, who presided over the case,
allegedly exhibited bias against Lynch, making statements such as "She
would already be in DOC if it were not for her buddy Rusty," in violation of
the Code of Judicial Conduct's mandate for impartiality. Judge Madrigal
also allegedly pressured Lynch to accept a plea deal, instructed her
attorney to withdraw, and disregarded motions filed by her attorneys, all of
which could be considered an abuse of discretion as stated in Canakaris v.
Canakaris, 382 So. 2d 1197 (Fla. 1980).
On a separate occasion, Mr. Mills revealed in a side bar with the judge and
state attorney that Ms. Lynch had a prescription for the controlled
substance she was accused of trafficking. The judge and State Attorney
then discussed the possibility of refiling more serious charges if she
withdrew her plea, excluding Ms. Lynch from this conversation, a clear
violation of her due process rights and the principles of ex parte
communication as established in Rose v. State.
Attorney Holland, appointed as Ms. Lynch's final attorney, not only failed to
address the aforementioned issues but also actively discouraged her from
exercising her rights, advising her to simply plead guilty. This blatant
disregard for her defense and well-being further exemplifies the ineffective
assistance of counsel that has plagued this case.
III. LEGAL ARGUMENT
VI. ARGUMENT
The lower court's ex parte communication with Mr. Mills, outside the
presence of Petitioner or the State Attorney, represents a blatant disregard
for the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, a cornerstone of our legal
system, as emphasized in In re Griffiths, 413 U.S. 717, 724 (1973). This
communication not only breached the attorney-client privilege but also
directly interfered with Petitioner's ability to receive independent legal
advice and counsel.
Plea as a Contract:
Clear Legal Right to Relief: Petitioner has a clear legal right to a fair trial,
free from prosecutorial misconduct, judicial bias, and ineffective assistance
of counsel. The aforementioned violations have irreparably tainted the
proceedings, making a fair trial impossible. Thus, Petitioner has a clear
legal right to the dismissal of all charges.
State ex rel. Gerstein v. Coe, 467 So. 2d 281 (Fla. 1985): The
Florida Supreme Court held that a writ of mandamus is appropriate to
compel a lower court to dismiss charges when there is no other
adequate remedy and the defendant has a clear legal right to relief.
Strazzulla v. Hendrick, 177 So. 2d 1 (Fla. 1965): The court held that
a writ of mandamus can be used to correct a clear abuse of discretion
by a lower court.
State ex rel. Bateman v. Colding, 155 So. 816 (Fla. 1934): The
court held that a writ of mandamus is appropriate when a lower court
has failed to perform a clear legal duty.
In light of the foregoing, Petitioner respectfully requests that this Court
grant the petition for a writ of mandamus and order the dismissal of all
charges against Petitioner.
LEGAL ARGUMENT