State v. Gorrell

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

BROCHIN, J.A.D.

Defendant Christopher Gorrell was convicted of second and third degree aggravated assault (N.J.S.A 2C:12 — 1(b)(1) and -(2)) and third degree possession of a knife for an unlawful purpose (N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4(d)). He was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment for the second degree offense and to concurrent five-year terms of imprisonment for each of the other two offenses.

Defendant has appealed. He argues that he was denied a fair trial because of the ineffectiveness of his trial counsel who, he asserts, did not understand the applicable…