Kernrechtsfrage
Whether the appellant was entitled to free legal counsel in the cantonal appeal proceedings under Art. 29(3) BV
Extrahierter Entscheid
The refusal of free legal counsel was unlawful; the appellant was indigent and his appeal was not hopeless.
Extrahierte Begründung
The lower court failed to examine the constitutional right under Art. 29(3) BV and relied only on cantonal law. Given the seriousness of the sentence, the possible reduction to 12 months, and the practical avenues for mitigation, the appeal could not be deemed hopeless.