State of Iowa
v.
Hamilton S. Drane
Appellee
State of Iowa
Appellant
Hamilton S. Drane
Attorney for the Appellee
Louis S. Sloven, Assistant Attorney General
Attorney for the Appellant
Seth Harrington
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Polk County, Heather L. Lauber and Robert J. Blink, Judges. AFFIRMED. Considered by Vaitheswaran, P.J., and Doyle and Bower, JJ. Opinion by Bower, J. (4 pages)
Hamilton Drane appeals the judgment and sentence imposed upon his September 21, 2018 guilty pleas to being a felon in possession of a firearm and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, contending his firearm plea was not knowingly and voluntarily entered and plea counsel was ineffective in failing to file a motion in arrest of judgment. OPINION HOLDS: The record adequately establishes Drane was a felon in possession of a firearm, as shown by the guilty-plea colloquy and the minutes of testimony. The colloquy also supports the court’s finding that Drane entered his plea voluntarily. Because counsel has no duty to file a meritless motion, his ineffectiveness claim fails, and we affirm his convictions.
