00:00If you want to represent yourself, there's some things.
00:02Ms. Pugh, stop talking over me.
00:04When this defendant insisted on representing herself at trial,
00:08the judge tested her understanding of the law and refused to let her proceed without an attorney.
00:12Ms. Pugh, Mr. Jeffries has been appointed to represent you.
00:16Well, respectfully, Your Honor, I do not agree to comply with any of the
00:19plaintiff going agents, considering that their first duty is to the state.
00:23I understand. We've had this conversation before.
00:29So if you want to represent yourself, there's some things.
00:32Ms. Pugh, stop talking over me.
00:35If you want to represent yourself, then there is a process that we have to go through.
00:39It is highly inadvisable for you to represent yourself.
00:43Lawyers have many, many years of training.
00:46They understand the law.
00:47They understand how a trial works.
00:49When you're in a trial and you represent yourself,
00:51you're expected to know and follow all of the rules of evidence,
00:56all the rules of procedure.
00:57You're really at a disadvantage if you don't know those things.
01:00Usually does not work out in your benefit.
01:02But I have to go through with you some questions first.
01:05This is required.
01:07All right.
01:07So have you ever studied the law?
01:09Yes, no, sir.
01:10Have you ever represented yourself before in any kind of criminal matter?
01:14Do you understand charges against you?
01:17I know.
01:18Thank you, sir.
01:18Okay.
01:19Do you know, and we've gone over before, I think,
01:21what the range of punishment is if you're found guilty on a jury?
01:25Do you know what that is?
01:27The date of that, allegations from June 22nd of 2021.
01:31What that means is if you're found guilty,
01:33that the range of punishment that the jury could give you is between two years,
01:37so minimum punishment, up to 10 years in prison, anywhere in between.
01:41Do you understand?
01:42I don't understand.
01:44I don't understand.
01:45What do you not understand about that?
01:47I don't understand.
01:47So here's the thing.
01:49If you want to represent yourself by law,
01:51you have to be able to understand these things.
01:54Otherwise, I've got an appointed attorney for you.
01:56So you can't just say, I want to represent myself.
01:59I don't like the attorney or I don't like the process.
02:01This is the process that you're in.
02:03You live in Texas.
02:04You live in the United States.
02:06This is the law that applies to your case.
02:08So what do you not understand about the range of punishment if you're found guilty?
02:12And I'd be glad to explain it.
02:13I don't understand because I'm going to be able to do that.
02:15That's what a jury's for, right?
02:17And so if you say you're not guilty, you go in front of a jury and they determine after
02:22they listen to the evidence they're guilty or not.
02:24That doesn't have anything to do with if they find you guilty, you understanding that they
02:29could send you to prison for between two years and up to 10 years.
02:32Do you understand that part?
02:34Yes or no?
02:34No, no, you don't understand that.
02:36I'm not going to allow you to represent yourself because you don't understand the law and the
02:40process.
02:41We're on question number four out of 15 that I'm supposed to ask you.
02:45So Mr. Jeffries is going to stay on your case.
02:49I don't care what you want at this point.
02:52Can't do it.
02:53All right.
02:53You can go back with the bailiff.
02:55Go back with the bailiff.
02:56I don't know.
02:56I don't know.
02:57That's good.
02:57I don't know.
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