People v. Veach

This case presents question as to whether Appellate Court properly refused to address in instant direct appeal defendant’s argument that his trial counsel was ineffective for stipulating to admission of certain recorded statements of government witnesses that contained bad character evidence of defendant, as well as prior consistent statements of said witnesses. While defendant argued that Appellate Court should have ruled on his ineffective assistance of counsel issue because alleged acts of ineffective assistance of counsel were already memorialized in record and because deferring said issue to post-conviction proceeding would have resulted in dismissal of said issue on grounds of procedural forfeiture, Appellate Court found that issue was more appropriate for development in post-conviction petition because instant record contained no evidence regarding trial counsel’s rationale for stipulating to admission of such evidence. (Dissent filed.)