People v. Matthews

Defendant, Johnny Matthews, appeals from his conviction after a bench trial of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. He contends that he must receive a new trial because his trial attorney stipulated to the identity and amount of controlled substances recovered by the police without any expression in the record of his assent, and that counsel’s agreement to stipulate was so unreasonable as to amount to ineffective assistance of counsel. Defendant further appeals his sentence claiming that the sequence of his prior convictions was required to be proven beyond a…