Aikens v. State

Johnson, Chief Judge.

A criminal defendant may not directly appeal from a guilty plea on the ground of ineffective assistance of counsel if there has not been a post-plea hearing in the trial court developing that claim and instead the only evidence in the record is the transcript of the guilty plea hearing. Danny Aikens pled guilty to burglary and then directly appealed to this court on the ground that his trial counsel was ineffective. The transcripts of his guilty plea and sentencing hearings are the only pertinent evidence in the record. Is Aikens entitled to appeal directly from his…