Opinion ID: 1896787
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Gibilisco's Claim of Ineffective Assistance of Counsel With Respect to Communication of the Potential Plea Agreement Is Procedurally Barred.

Text: Next, Gibilisco claims that he received ineffective assistance of trial counsel, because his trial counsel did not properly relay information to him with respect to the plea agreement offered by the State. Gibilisco did not raise this claim on direct appeal, and it is therefore procedurally barred. A party cannot raise an issue in a postconviction motion if he or she could have raised that same issue on direct appeal. State v. Jackson, 275 Neb. 434, 747 N.W.2d 418 (2008). A motion for postconviction relief asserting ineffective assistance of trial counsel is procedurally barred when (1) the defendant was represented by a different attorney on direct appeal than at trial, (2) an ineffective assistance of trial counsel claim was not brought on direct appeal, and (3) the alleged deficiencies in trial counsel's performance were known to the defendant or apparent from the record. Id. Here, Gibilisco had different counsel at trial and on appeal. On direct appeal, Gibilisco did not raise a claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel based on his counsel's purported failure to relay information with respect to a potential plea agreement. Because the alleged deficiencies regarding Gibilisco's plea agreement discussion with trial counsel were known to Gibilisco at the time of his initial appeal, a claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel based on the manner in which plea information was communicated to Gibilisco is procedurally barred.