acknowledged his existing attorney-client relationship with Coleman, Coleman’s friendship with Johnson’s alleged victim, and Coleman’s likely adverse testimony. At trial, Garrett would have found himself in an intractable dilemma: either he could vigorously cross-examine Coleman in an effort to discredit Coleman’s sworn testimony, or he could weaken the intensity of cross-examination (perhaps even abandon the effort altogether) out of a desire to protect Coleman. Exercising the kind of experienced instinct and judgment Wheat commends, the trial court understandably concluded a serious potential (if not an outright actual) conflict of interest infected Garrett’s continued representation of Johnson. See generally 3 Wayne R. LaFave, Criminal Procedure § 11.9(a), at 652 (2d ed.1999) (<HOLDING>); see, e.g., United States v. Stewart, 185 F.3d
recognizing the conflict holding that defense counsel suffered from an actual conflict of interest in representing two codefendants because had the attorney not been facing a conflict of interest he might have been able to negotiate a plea agreement on one defendants behalf in return for becoming a prosecution witness against the eodefendant recognizing a potential conflict of interest when appointed counsel previously represented the murder victim in a separate case recognizing a potential conflict when defense counsel is currently representing in another matter either the victim of the crime or a prosecution witness recognizing conflict