Is a criminal defendant entitled to counsel at trial?

"Under both the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution and article I, section 15, of the California Constitution, a criminal defendant has the right to the assistance of counsel. [Citations.] The ultimate purpose of this right is to protect the defendant's fundamental right to a trial that is both fair in its conduct and reliable in its result. [Citations.] [] Construed in light of its purpose, the right entitles the defendant not to some bare assistance but rather to effective assistance. [Citations.] Specifically, it entitles [the defendant] to 'the reasonably competent assistance of an attorney acting as his [or her] diligent conscientious advocate.' " (People v. Ledesma (1987) 43 Cal.3d 171, 215.)