S-19-1168 State of Nebraska v. Natavian Q. Morton (Appellant)
Lancaster County District Court, Hon. Lori A. Maret
Attorneys: Matthew Lewis (Office of the Attorney General, for Appellee) --- Jonathan M. Braaten (Anderson, Creager & Wittstruck, P.C., L.L.O, for Appellant)
Criminal: Plea; Manslaughter; Possession of firearm during commission of felony; Excessive sentence; Ineffective assistance of counsel
Proceedings below: Appellant was convicted based on his plea of no contest and sentenced to 15 to 20 years for manslaughter and 30 to 40 years for possession of firearm, to run consecutively.
Issues on appeal: Whether 1) there was sufficient evidence establishing that Appellant possessed a firearm during the commission of a felony; 2) the court abused its discretion in not imposing a sentence of probation; 3) the terms of incarceration imposed were excessive; 4) trial counsel was ineffective by not clarifying and/or objecting to the State's factual basis concerning the predicate felony for the possession of a deadly weapon charge; 5) trial counsel was ineffective by not having an expert witness evaluate Appellant as to his development and behavior.