Opinion ID: 6320102
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: standard of review

Text: [1] A jurisdictional question which does not involve a factual dispute is determined by an appellate court as a matter of law, which requires the appellate court to reach a conclusion independent from the lower court’s decision. 3 [2,3] A sentence imposed within the statutory limits will not be disturbed on appeal in the absence of an abuse of discretion by the trial court. 4 A judicial abuse of discretion exists only when the reasons or rulings of a trial judge are clearly untenable, unfairly depriving a litigant of a substantial right and denying a just result in matters submitted for disposition. 5 [4,5] The fact that an ineffective assistance of counsel claim is raised on direct appeal does not necessarily mean that it can be resolved on direct appeal; the determining factor is whether the record is sufficient to adequately review the question. 6 The record is sufficient to resolve on direct appeal a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel if the record affirmatively proves or rebuts either deficiency or prejudice with respect to the defendant’s claims. 7 [6] A voluntary guilty plea or plea of no contest generally waives all defenses to a criminal charge; thus, when a defendant pleads guilty or no contest, he or she is limited to 3 McEwen v. Nebraska State College Sys., 303 Neb. 552, 931 N.W.2d 120 (2019). 4 State v. Greer, 309 Neb. 667, 962 N.W.2d 217 (2021). 5 Id. 6 State v. Wood, ante p. 391, 966 N.W.2d 825 (2021). 7 Id. - 781 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 310 Nebraska Reports STATE v. BLAKE Cite as 310 Neb. 769 challenging whether the plea was understandingly and voluntarily made and whether it was the result of ineffective assist­ ance of counsel. 8