Joseph Matthew Smith
v.
State of Iowa
Appellant
Joseph Matthew Smith
Appellee
State of Iowa
Attorney for the Appellant
Jennifer Bennett Finn
Attorney for the Appellee
Thomas E. Bakke, Assistant Attorney General
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Buena Vista County, David A. Lester, Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered by Vaitheswaran, P.J., Tabor, J., and Gamble, S.J. Opinion by Vaitheswaran, P.J. (7 pages)
Joseph Smith appeals the district court’s denial of his postconviction-relief application, claiming his counsel (1) should have challenged his competency to enter the plea and (2) should have explained the special sentence of lifetime parole. OPINION HOLDS: The district court did not err when it denied Smith’s ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claims. Smith’s categorical challenge to his sentence lacks merit, and Smith’s attorney could not have been effective in failing to raise it. We affirm the district court’s denial of Smith’s postconviction-relief application.
