Garrett v. State

A jury convicted Howard Garrett of possession of cocaine and dealing in cocaine and also adjudged him a habitual offender. The trial court sentenced Garrett to fifty years for dealing in cocaine enhanced by thirty years for being a habitual offender. The court did not sentence Garrett for possession of cocaine. In this direct appeal, Garrett raises two issues for our review which we rephrase as follows: (I) was Garrett tried before an impartial judge; and (2) did defense counsel’s stipulation to the dates of Garrett’s prior convictions constitute a guilty plea to the habitual offender charge?…