State v. Lowman ( 2021 )


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  • Nebraska Supreme Court Online Library
    www.nebraska.gov/apps-courts-epub/
    05/14/2021 08:11 AM CDT
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    Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets
    308 Nebraska Reports
    STATE v. LOWMAN
    Cite as 
    308 Neb. 482
    State of Nebraska, appellee, v. Theardise
    K. Lowman, Jr., appellant.
    ___ N.W.2d ___
    Filed February 26, 2021.   No. S-20-240.
    1. Constitutional Law: Search and Seizure: Motions to Suppress:
    Appeal and Error. In reviewing a trial court’s ruling on a motion to
    suppress based on a claimed violation of the Fourth Amendment, an
    appellate court applies a two-part standard of review. Regarding histori-
    cal facts, an appellate court reviews the trial court’s findings for clear
    error, but whether those facts trigger or violate Fourth Amendment
    protections is a question of law that an appellate court reviews indepen-
    dently of the trial court’s determination.
    2. Convictions: Evidence: Appeal and Error. In reviewing a criminal
    conviction for a sufficiency of the evidence claim, whether the evidence
    is direct, circumstantial, or a combination thereof, the standard is the
    same: An appellate court does not resolve conflicts in the evidence, pass
    on the credibility of witnesses, or reweigh the evidence; such matters
    are for the finder of fact. The relevant question for an appellate court
    is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the
    prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential ele-
    ments of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
    3. Effectiveness of Counsel: Constitutional Law: Statutes: Records:
    Appeal and Error. Whether a claim of ineffective assistance of trial
    counsel can be determined on direct appeal presents a question of law,
    which turns upon the sufficiency of the record to address the claim
    without an evidentiary hearing or whether the claim rests solely on the
    interpretation of a statute or constitutional requirement.
    4. Effectiveness of Counsel: Appeal and Error. In reviewing claims of
    ineffective assistance of counsel on direct appeal, an appellate court
    decides only whether the undisputed facts contained within the record
    are sufficient to conclusively determine whether counsel did or did not
    provide effective assistance and whether the defendant was or was not
    prejudiced by counsel’s alleged deficient performance.
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    5. Pretrial Procedure: Trial: Evidence: Appeal and Error. Where there
    has been a pretrial ruling regarding the admissibility of evidence, a party
    must make a timely and specific objection to the evidence when it is
    offered at trial in order to preserve any error for appellate review.
    6. Trial: Evidence: Motions to Suppress: Waiver: Appeal and Error.
    The failure to object to evidence at trial, even though the evidence was
    the subject of a previous motion to suppress, waives the objection, and
    a party will not be heard to complain of the alleged error on appeal.
    7. Appeal and Error. An objection, based on a specific ground and prop-
    erly overruled, does not preserve a question for appellate review on
    some other ground not specified at trial.
    8. Constitutional Law: Police Officers and Sheriffs: Search and
    Seizure. The first tier of police-citizen encounters involves no restraint
    of the liberty of the citizen involved, but, rather, the voluntary coopera-
    tion of the citizen is elicited through noncoercive questioning. This type
    of contact does not rise to the level of a seizure and therefore is outside
    the realm of Fourth Amendment protection.
    9. Constitutional Law: Criminal Law: Police Officers and Sheriffs:
    Investigative Stops: Search and Seizure: Appeal and Error. The sec-
    ond tier of police-citizen encounters, the investigatory stop, as defined
    by the U.S. Supreme Court in Terry v. Ohio, 
    392 U.S. 1
    , 
    88 S. Ct. 1868
    ,
    
    20 L. Ed. 2d 889
     (1968), is limited to brief, nonintrusive detention dur-
    ing a frisk for weapons or preliminary questioning. This type of encoun-
    ter is considered a seizure sufficient to invoke Fourth Amendment safe-
    guards, but because of its less intrusive character requires only that the
    stopping officer have specific and articulable facts sufficient to give rise
    to reasonable suspicion that a person has committed or is committing
    a crime.
    10. Constitutional Law: Criminal Law: Police Officers and Sheriffs:
    Arrests: Search and Seizure: Probable Cause. The third type of
    police-citizen encounters, arrests, is characterized by highly intrusive
    or lengthy search or detention. The Fourth Amendment requires that an
    arrest be justified by probable cause to believe that a person has com-
    mitted or is committing a crime.
    11. Constitutional Law: Search and Seizure. A seizure in the Fourth
    Amendment context occurs only if, in view of all the circumstances sur-
    rounding the incident, a reasonable person would have believed that he
    or she was not free to leave.
    12. Police Officers and Sheriffs: Search and Seizure. A seizure does not
    occur simply because a law enforcement officer approaches an indi-
    vidual and asks a few questions or requests permission to search an area,
    provided the officer does not indicate that compliance with his or her
    request is required.
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    13. Police Officers and Sheriffs: Investigative Stops: Probable Cause.
    Whether a police officer has a reasonable suspicion based on sufficient
    articulable facts depends on the totality of the circumstances and must
    be determined on a case-by-case basis.
    14. Police Officers and Sheriffs: Probable Cause. In determining whether
    a police officer acted reasonably, it is not the officer’s inchoate or unpar-
    ticularized suspicion or hunch that will be given due weight, but the
    specific reasonable inferences which the officer is entitled to draw from
    the facts in light of the officer’s experience.
    15. Constitutional Law: Warrantless Searches: Search and Seizure.
    Warrantless searches and seizures are per se unreasonable under the
    Fourth Amendment, subject to a few established and well-delineated
    exceptions.
    16. Warrantless Searches. The warrantless search exceptions Nebraska has
    recognized include: (1) searches undertaken with consent, (2) searches
    under exigent circumstances, (3) inventory searches, (4) searches of
    evidence in plain view, and (5) searches incident to a valid arrest.
    17. Warrantless Searches: Motor Vehicles. Nebraska has recognized that
    among the established exceptions to the warrant requirement is the auto­
    mobile exception.
    18. Weapons: Motor Vehicles: Words and Phrases. A weapon is con-
    cealed on or about the person if it is concealed in such proximity to the
    driver of an automobile as to be convenient of access and within imme-
    diate physical reach.
    19. Effectiveness of Counsel: Proof: Words and Phrases. Generally, to
    prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel under Strickland
    v. Washington, 
    466 U.S. 668
    , 
    104 S. Ct. 2052
    , 
    80 L. Ed. 2d 674
     (1984),
    the defendant must show that his or her counsel’s performance was
    deficient and that this deficient performance actually prejudiced the
    defendant’s defense.
    20. Effectiveness of Counsel: Postconviction: Records: Appeal and
    Error. When a defendant’s trial counsel is different from his or her
    counsel on direct appeal, the defendant must raise on direct appeal any
    issue of trial counsel’s ineffective performance which is known to the
    defendant or is apparent from the record. Otherwise, the issue will be
    procedurally barred in a subsequent postconviction proceeding.
    21. Effectiveness of Counsel: Appeal and Error. The fact that an inef-
    fective assistance of counsel claim is raised on direct appeal does not
    necessarily mean that it can be resolved on direct appeal.
    22. ____: ____. Assignments of error on direct appeal regarding inef-
    fective assistance of trial counsel must specifically allege deficient
    performance.
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    STATE v. LOWMAN
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    23. Effectiveness of Counsel: Presumptions. The entire analysis of a claim
    of ineffective assistance of counsel should be viewed with a strong pre-
    sumption that counsel’s actions were reasonable.
    24. Trial: Effectiveness of Counsel: Appeal and Error. Trial counsel is
    afforded due deference to formulate trial strategy and tactics, and an
    appellate court will not second-guess trial counsel’s reasonable strategic
    tactics when reviewing claims of ineffective assistance of counsel.
    Appeal from the District Court for Sarpy County: Stefanie
    A. Martinez, Judge. Affirmed.
    Gregory A. Pivovar for appellant.
    Douglas J. Peterson, Attorney General, and Jordan Osborne
    for appellee.
    Heavican, C.J., Miller-Lerman, Cassel, Stacy, Funke,
    Papik, and Freudenberg, JJ.
    Cassel, J.
    INTRODUCTION
    Theardise K. Lowman, Jr., appeals from convictions, pursu-
    ant to a jury verdict, for possession of a controlled substance
    and two counts of carrying a concealed weapon. He argues
    that the district court erred in overruling his motion to sup-
    press evidence, that the evidence regarding a machete in his
    vehicle was insufficient to convict him of carrying a concealed
    weapon, and that he received ineffective assistance of counsel.
    Finding no merit to any of his claims, we affirm the district
    court’s judgment.
    BACKGROUND
    Facts
    On April 8, 2019, at approximately 5:04 a.m., Officer James
    Murray was on duty and patrolling in the area of a carwash.
    The carwash was open at the time, but signs posted on the
    building prohibit loitering. Murray observed a vehicle backed
    into one of the wash bays. He believed a person was sitting
    in the driver’s seat, and he did not see anybody outside of the
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    vehicle. Murray parked his cruiser and watched to see if the
    occupant would wash the vehicle or leave.
    After 5 minutes of not seeing or hearing activity, Murray
    approached the vehicle. He noticed that the vehicle and the
    concrete floor were dry. As Murray approached the passen-
    ger’s side of the vehicle, Lowman started to leave the vehicle.
    Murray asked if Lowman would move to the front of the
    vehicle and speak with Murray, and Lowman agreed to do so.
    Murray looked quickly inside the vehicle before speaking with
    Lowman. Murray observed a car stereo on the front passen-
    ger’s seat with numerous wires protruding from the back. He
    also observed what appeared to be a metal pipe—which could
    be used for smoking controlled substances—sticking between
    the center console and the driver’s seat. Murray noticed that
    Lowman was holding a torch-style lighter.
    Lowman told Murray that he had been visiting a friend
    in the area and chose the carwash to “do some thinking
    and sort through some things.” Lowman stated that he had
    been at the carwash for 1 to 2 hours. Murray noticed that
    Lowman was “fidgety with his hands,” moving around a bit
    on his feet, speaking with a rapid speech pattern, and speak-
    ing at great length when answering simple questions. Murray
    suspected that Lowman had engaged in drug use at the car-
    wash. Murray asked whether Lowman had any weapons, and
    Lowman answered that he did not have a weapon on his per-
    son but volunteered that he had a machete inside the vehicle,
    “tucked down by the center console.” Murray asked dispatch to
    send another officer.
    After backup arrived, Murray informed Lowman that he was
    being detained and that Lowman and his vehicle were going
    to be searched. Murray located a black zippered bag attached
    to Lowman’s waistband which contained a digital scale, a
    weight used for “zeroing out” the scale, unused jewelers’ bags
    that are commonly used for storing controlled substances,
    and two jewelers’ bags that contained an off-white crystalline
    substance which appeared to be methamphetamine. A search
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    STATE v. LOWMAN
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    of Lowman’s vehicle uncovered a machete, a pair of brass
    knuckles in the center console, and a black eyeglass case that
    contained a broken glass methamphetamine pipe. An officer
    testified that he could see the machete’s handle “sticking out
    from in between the passenger’s seat.”
    The State charged Lowman with possession of methamphet-
    amine, carrying a concealed weapon (two counts), and posses-
    sion of drug paraphernalia.
    Motion to Suppress
    In September 2019, Lowman filed a motion to suppress all
    evidence obtained by the police as a result of the detention,
    arrest, questioning, and search of Lowman along with the
    search of his vehicle. Lowman alleged that there was no reason-
    able suspicion or probable cause to search him or his vehicle
    and that he was questioned in violation of his Miranda rights.
    The motion was set to be heard on September 27, but Lowman
    did not appear for the hearing. Lowman’s counsel withdrew the
    motion. In October, Lowman filed another motion to suppress,
    which contained the same allegations as the earlier motion. It
    was heard the day before trial was set to begin.
    The court overruled the motion to suppress. It found that
    Murray had reasonable suspicion to conduct the initial stop
    of Lowman. The court found that Lowman was not using the
    carwash for its intended purpose, that signs were posted pro-
    hibiting loitering, and that criminal activity had occurred there
    previously. It further found that Lowman voluntarily agreed
    to speak with Murray and that Lowman admitted to smok-
    ing marijuana in the past and to having a machete concealed
    in his vehicle. The court stated that Murray’s observation of
    the torch-style lighter and an object appearing to be some-
    thing in which suspects can hide controlled substances, along
    with Lowman’s behavior, nonsensical answers, and change in
    demeanor when asked if he had smoked methamphetamine,
    contributed to Murray’s determination of probable cause for
    arrest. Although Lowman was not advised of his Miranda
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    rights, the court noted that no questioning occurred after arrest.
    The court agreed that Murray had probable cause to arrest
    Lowman; accordingly, it found no Fourth Amendment viola-
    tion when Murray searched Lowman pursuant to that arrest.
    Trial
    The court conducted a jury trial. Prior to the introduction
    of evidence, Lowman’s counsel stated, “I do want to renew
    my motion to suppress the detention, arrest, questioning, and
    search of my client as well as the search of my client’s vehicle
    . . . and essentially just renew the motion to suppress that I
    refiled with the Court that was just ruled on yesterday.” The
    court stated: “Okay, so that motion will be overruled, but I
    assume that you’re renewing your motion for purposes of
    appeal . . . should it get there. So, that issue will be preserved.”
    On many—but not all—occasions, Lowman objected based
    on the motion to suppress when the State offered exhibits
    into evidence.
    The jury returned a verdict of guilty as to possession of
    a controlled substance and as to both counts of carrying a
    concealed weapon, but not guilty as to the drug paraphernalia
    charge. The court subsequently placed Lowman on probation
    for 2 years.
    Lowman promptly appealed, and we moved this case to
    our docket. 1
    ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR
    Lowman assigns two errors related to the evidence. He
    alleges that the court erred in overruling his motion to sup-
    press evidence and that the evidence was insufficient to support
    the verdict.
    Lowman also assigns that his trial counsel provided inef-
    fective assistance. One assignment alleges, “The defendant
    received ineffective assistance of counsel when defendant’s
    counsel filed a last minute motion to suppress and was
    1
    See 
    Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-1106
    (3) (Cum. Supp. 2020).
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    ill-prepared and was unable to brief the issues for the court.”
    The other alleges, “The defendant received ineffective assist­
    ance of counsel when despite the urgings of the defendant[,]
    counsel would not call witnesses who would have provided
    corroboration that the defendant was in the area of the car wash
    for some time and had a lawful purpose for being there.”
    STANDARD OF REVIEW
    [1] In reviewing a trial court’s ruling on a motion to sup-
    press based on a claimed violation of the Fourth Amendment,
    an appellate court applies a two-part standard of review.
    Regarding historical facts, an appellate court reviews the trial
    court’s findings for clear error, but whether those facts trig-
    ger or violate Fourth Amendment protections is a question of
    law that an appellate court reviews independently of the trial
    court’s determination. 2
    [2] In reviewing a criminal conviction for a sufficiency of
    the evidence claim, whether the evidence is direct, circum-
    stantial, or a combination thereof, the standard is the same:
    An appellate court does not resolve conflicts in the evidence,
    pass on the credibility of witnesses, or reweigh the evidence;
    such matters are for the finder of fact. The relevant question
    for an appellate court is whether, after viewing the evidence in
    the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier
    of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime
    beyond a reasonable doubt. 3
    [3,4] Whether a claim of ineffective assistance of trial coun-
    sel can be determined on direct appeal presents a question of
    law, which turns upon the sufficiency of the record to address
    the claim without an evidentiary hearing or whether the claim
    rests solely on the interpretation of a statute or constitutional
    requirement. 4 In reviewing claims of ineffective assistance
    2
    State v. Briggs, ante p. 84, 
    953 N.W.2d 41
     (2021).
    3
    State v. Stack, 
    307 Neb. 773
    , 
    950 N.W.2d 611
     (2020).
    4
    State v. Theisen, 
    306 Neb. 591
    , 
    946 N.W.2d 677
     (2020).
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    of counsel on direct appeal, an appellate court decides only
    whether the undisputed facts contained within the record are
    sufficient to conclusively determine whether counsel did or
    did not provide effective assistance and whether the defend­
    ant was or was not prejudiced by counsel’s alleged defi-
    cient performance. 5
    ANALYSIS
    Motion to Suppress
    We start by addressing the State’s waiver argument. The
    State contends that Lowman waived his suppression claim to
    some of the evidence—specifically, those items found as a
    result of the search of his person—when he failed to renew
    an objection to that evidence based on his motion to suppress.
    We agree.
    [5-7] Where there has been a pretrial ruling regarding the
    admissibility of evidence, a party must make a timely and
    specific objection to the evidence when it is offered at trial in
    order to preserve any error for appellate review. 6 The failure to
    object to evidence at trial, even though the evidence was the
    subject of a previous motion to suppress, waives the objection,
    and a party will not be heard to complain of the alleged error
    on appeal. 7 Furthermore, an objection, based on a specific
    ground and properly overruled, does not preserve a ques-
    tion for appellate review on some other ground not specified
    at trial. 8
    At numerous times during the trial, Lowman’s coun-
    sel objected and renewed the motion to suppress when the
    State offered exhibits into evidence. However, counsel did
    not impose an objection to specifically renew the motion to
    5
    State v. Lang, 
    305 Neb. 726
    , 
    942 N.W.2d 388
     (2020), cert. denied ___
    U.S. ___, 
    141 S. Ct. 415
    , 
    208 L. Ed. 2d 119
    .
    6
    State v. Oldson, 
    293 Neb. 718
    , 
    884 N.W.2d 10
     (2016).
    7
    
    Id.
    8
    
    Id.
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    suppress when the State offered into evidence the digital scale,
    the torch-style lighter, bags containing the white crystalline
    substance, and the weight contained in the black bag found
    on Lowman. Instead, Lowman’s counsel imposed objections
    based on such matters as foundation, authentication, and chain
    of custody. Nor did counsel renew an objection based on the
    motion to suppress when a forensic chemist testified that the
    bags contained methamphetamine. The objection and renewal
    of the motion to suppress at the beginning of trial did not pre-
    serve the issue for review when no objection was made during
    trial to the receipt of items of evidence found during a search.
    Accordingly, we conclude Lowman failed to preserve the sup-
    pression issue with regard to the evidence found during the
    search of his person.
    Before analyzing Lowman’s interactions with law enforce-
    ment, we recount the three tiers of police-citizen encounters
    under Nebraska law and the law regarding seizures in the con-
    text of the Fourth Amendment.
    [8] The first tier of police-citizen encounters involves no
    restraint of the liberty of the citizen involved, but, rather,
    the voluntary cooperation of the citizen is elicited through
    noncoer­cive questioning. 9 This type of contact does not rise
    to the level of a seizure and therefore is outside the realm of
    Fourth Amendment protection. 10
    [9] The second tier, the investigatory stop, as defined by
    the U.S. Supreme Court in Terry v. Ohio, 11 is limited to
    brief, nonintrusive detention during a frisk for weapons or
    preliminary questioning. 12 This type of encounter is consid-
    ered a seizure sufficient to invoke Fourth Amendment safe-
    guards, but because of its less intrusive character requires only
    that the stopping officer have specific and articulable facts
    9
    State v. Saitta, 
    306 Neb. 499
    , 
    945 N.W.2d 888
     (2020).
    10
    
    Id.
    11
    Terry v. Ohio, 
    392 U.S. 1
    , 
    88 S. Ct. 1868
    , 
    20 L. Ed. 2d 889
     (1968).
    12
    See State v. Saitta, 
    supra note 9
    .
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    sufficient to give rise to reasonable suspicion that a person has
    committed or is committing a crime. 13
    [10] The third type of police-citizen encounters, arrests, is
    characterized by highly intrusive or lengthy search or deten-
    tion. 14 The Fourth Amendment requires that an arrest be justi-
    fied by probable cause to believe that a person has committed
    or is committing a crime. 15
    [11,12] Plainly, not every police-citizen encounter rises to
    the level of a seizure. A seizure in the Fourth Amendment con-
    text occurs only if, in view of all the circumstances surrounding
    the incident, a reasonable person would have believed that he
    or she was not free to leave. 16 In addition to situations where
    an officer directly tells a suspect that he or she is not free to go,
    circumstances indicative of a seizure may include the threaten-
    ing presence of several officers, the display of a weapon by an
    officer, some physical touching of the citizen’s person, or the
    use of language or tone of voice indicating the compliance with
    the officer’s request might be compelled. 17 A seizure does not
    occur simply because a law enforcement officer approaches an
    individual and asks a few questions or requests permission to
    search an area, provided the officer does not indicate that com-
    pliance with his or her request is required. 18
    We first address Lowman’s initial encounter with Murray.
    Lowman claims the initial approach was unjustified and
    unnecessary because he was in a place open to the public and
    Murray saw no illegal activity. The State responds that no
    level of suspicion was needed, because the initial contact was
    a consensual encounter rather than a Terry stop. We agree with
    the State.
    13
    
    Id.
    14
    
    Id.
    15
    
    Id.
    16
    
    Id.
    17
    
    Id.
    18
    State v. Hartzell, 
    304 Neb. 82
    , 
    933 N.W.2d 441
     (2019).
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    The interaction started with noncoercive questioning.
    Murray did not activate his cruiser’s overhead lights or sirens
    prior to approaching Lowman’s vehicle on foot. As Murray
    approached, Lowman began to exit his vehicle. Murray did
    not direct Lowman to do so. Murray did not display a weapon
    or show coercive authority. His communication with Lowman
    was casual, rather than authoritative. We conclude that this
    interaction amounted to a first-tier police-citizen encoun-
    ter, and thus, it was outside the protections of the Fourth
    Amendment.
    [13,14] The encounter developed into a tier-two investiga-
    tory stop when Murray advised Lowman that he was being
    detained. An investigatory stop of a person requires that the
    stopping officer have specific and articulable facts sufficient
    to give rise to reasonable suspicion that a person has com-
    mitted or is committing a crime. 19 Whether a police officer
    has a reasonable suspicion based on sufficient articulable
    facts depends on the totality of the circumstances and must be
    determined on a case-by-case basis. 20 In determining whether
    a police officer acted reasonably, it is not the officer’s incho-
    ate or unparticularized suspicion or hunch that will be given
    due weight, but the specific reasonable inferences which the
    officer is entitled to draw from the facts in light of the offi-
    cer’s experience. 21
    Murray had reasonable suspicion to believe a crime had
    occurred based on the totality of the circumstances. In addi-
    tion to observing Lowman’s loitering, Murray observed in
    Lowman’s vehicle a car stereo with wires extending out on
    the passenger seat and a metal pipe protruding from the space
    between the driver’s seat and the center console. Based on
    Murray’s training and experience, he believed the pipe, along
    with the torch-style lighter held by Lowman, could be used
    19
    State v. Saitta, 
    supra note 9
    .
    20
    
    Id.
    21
    
    Id.
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    for smoking controlled substances. Further, Lowman admit-
    ted to being a marijuana user, was fidgety, spoke rapidly, and
    provided some answers that did not make sense. He also admit-
    ted to having a machete “tucked down” in his vehicle, which
    Murray believed to constitute a concealed weapon. Murray had
    a reasonable suspicion based on specific and articulable facts
    that Lowman had committed a crime.
    We next turn to the warrantless search of Lowman’s vehicle.
    First, we recall the governing law. Then, we apply it to the
    facts presented here.
    [15-17] Warrantless searches and seizures are per se unrea-
    sonable under the Fourth Amendment, subject to a few estab-
    lished and well-delineated exceptions. 22 The warrantless search
    exceptions Nebraska has recognized include: (1) searches
    undertaken with consent, (2) searches under exigent circum-
    stances, (3) inventory searches, (4) searches of evidence in
    plain view, and (5) searches incident to a valid arrest. 23 This
    court has recognized that among the established exceptions
    to the warrant requirement is the automobile exception. 24 The
    automobile exception applies when a vehicle is readily mobile
    and there is probable cause to believe that contraband or evi-
    dence of a crime will be found in the vehicle. 25
    The automobile exception applies here. Lowman’s vehicle
    was capable of being driven, and Murray observed what he
    believed to be a pipe for ingesting narcotics. His belief, though
    later shown to be incorrect, was bolstered by Lowman’s
    admission to being a marijuana user and possession of a
    torch-style lighter commonly used for smoking controlled
    substances. Further, Lowman informed Murray that he had
    a machete in the vehicle, but Murray did not readily see the
    machete. Viewed objectively, these facts supplied probable
    22
    
    Id.
    23
    
    Id.
    24
    
    Id.
    25
    State v. Lang, 
    supra note 5
    .
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    cause to believe contraband or evidence of a crime would be
    found inside the vehicle.
    Because the district court’s findings of historical fact were
    not clearly erroneous and we find no Fourth Amendment vio-
    lation, we conclude the court properly overruled Lowman’s
    motion to suppress.
    Sufficiency of Evidence
    Lowman next contends that there was insufficient evidence
    to support the verdict. The argument in his brief mentions only
    the conviction concerning the machete’s being a concealed
    weapon. Because an alleged error must be specifically argued
    in order to be considered, 26 we limit our analysis accordingly.
    In connection with Lowman’s argument, he advocates for
    application of the “accused’s rule” when reviewing circum-
    stantial evidence. Recently, in State v. Stack, 27 we rejected an
    invitation to return to the accused’s rule. At oral argument,
    Lowman’s counsel forthrightly conceded that Stack—released
    after counsel filed Lowman’s appellate brief—controlled. For
    the same reasons explained in Stack, we yet again decline to
    apply the accused’s rule.
    [18] The sufficiency analysis is driven by the elements of
    the offense and our standard of review. The offense of carry-
    ing a concealed weapon is committed when a person “carries
    a weapon or weapons concealed on or about his or her person,
    such as a handgun, a knife, brass or iron knuckles, or any other
    deadly weapon.” 28 Under our standard of review, we consider
    whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable
    to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found
    that the machete was “concealed on or about [Lowman’s]
    person,” as provided in § 28-1202. 29 A weapon is concealed
    on or about the person if it is concealed in such proximity to
    26
    See State v. Ferrin, 
    305 Neb. 762
    , 
    942 N.W.2d 404
     (2020).
    27
    See State v. Stack, 
    supra note 3
    .
    28
    
    Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-1202
    (1)(a) (Reissue 2016).
    29
    See State v. Senn, 
    295 Neb. 315
    , 
    888 N.W.2d 716
     (2016).
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    the driver of an automobile as to be convenient of access and
    within immediate physical reach. 30
    Here, the State adduced sufficient evidence regarding the
    machete to support the concealed weapon conviction. The
    machete, located in the vehicle’s center console area, was eas-
    ily accessible and within Lowman’s immediate physical reach.
    In urging that the machete was not concealed, Lowman relies
    heavily on an officer’s testimony that the machete’s handle was
    visible from outside the passenger-side door. But Murray did
    not see the machete when he looked in the vehicle. Viewing
    the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, we con-
    clude the evidence supported the conviction for carrying a
    concealed weapon.
    Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
    [19] Finally, Lowman assigns that trial counsel, who was
    different from appellate counsel, provided ineffective assist­
    ance. Generally, to prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance
    of counsel under Strickland v. Washington, 31 the defendant
    must show that his or her counsel’s performance was deficient
    and that this deficient performance actually prejudiced the
    defendant’s defense. 32
    [20,21] When a defendant’s trial counsel is different from
    his or her counsel on direct appeal, the defendant must raise on
    direct appeal any issue of trial counsel’s ineffective perform­
    ance which is known to the defendant or is apparent from the
    record. Otherwise, the issue will be procedurally barred. 33
    But 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. 34 The determining factor is
    30
    
    Id.
    31
    Strickland v. Washington, 
    466 U.S. 668
    , 
    104 S. Ct. 2052
    , 
    80 L. Ed. 2d 674
    (1984).
    32
    State v. Lang, 
    supra note 5
    .
    33
    
    Id.
    34
    
    Id.
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    whether the record is sufficient to adequately review the ques-
    tion. 35 The record is sufficient if it establishes either that trial
    counsel’s performance was not deficient, that the appellant
    will not be able to establish prejudice, or that trial counsel’s
    actions could not be justified as a part of any plausible trial
    strategy. 36 We turn to Lowman’s two specific allegations of
    deficient performance.
    [22] First, Lowman claims counsel provided ineffective
    assistance in several respects related to the motion to suppress.
    According to Lowman’s assignment, counsel was ill prepared
    and failed to brief the issues. But this allegation is broad and
    conclusory. Assignments of error on direct appeal regarding
    ineffective assistance of trial counsel must specifically allege
    deficient performance. 37 Lowman failed to allege what case
    law should have been provided or how it would have per-
    suaded the court to grant the motion to suppress. We conclude
    these allegations of ineffective assistance of counsel were not
    made with sufficient particularity.
    Lowman’s claim that counsel filed the motion to suppress at
    the last minute is refuted by the record. A motion containing
    identical allegations was filed nearly 4 weeks earlier, but coun-
    sel was unable to pursue it due to Lowman’s failure to appear
    at the hearing. Lowman additionally claims that the late filing
    deprived him of the ability to assemble evidence and testimony
    to refute the statements of the officers at trial. But he had the
    opportunity to attack the credibility of the officers during the
    jury trial, and he does not inform us of what evidence he would
    have offered. This aspect of his claim lacks the specificity
    required to allege deficient conduct.
    Lowman’s second claim asserts that counsel should have
    called as witnesses two individuals. One was a friend whom
    Lowman had dropped off in the area at around 3 a.m. The
    35
    
    Id.
    36
    
    Id.
    37
    State v. Mrza, 
    302 Neb. 931
    , 
    926 N.W.2d 79
     (2019).
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    other was a clerk at a convenience store with whom Lowman
    spoke after dropping off his friend. Lowman wished to have
    these individuals testify that he was not in the area for an
    unlawful purpose.
    [23,24] We are mindful that the entire analysis of a claim
    of ineffective assistance of counsel should be viewed with a
    strong presumption that counsel’s actions were reasonable. 38
    Further, trial counsel is afforded due deference to formu-
    late trial strategy and tactics, and an appellate court will not
    second-guess trial counsel’s reasonable strategic tactics when
    reviewing claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. 39 Here,
    whatever knowledge these individuals had about what Lowman
    was doing 2 hours prior to the encounter with law enforcement
    is of little relevance, particularly when considering that he was
    found to be in possession of methamphetamine and concealed
    weapons and charged accordingly. We conclude that counsel
    did not perform deficiently in declining to call these individ­
    uals as witnesses.
    CONCLUSION
    We conclude that the court properly overruled Lowman’s
    motion to suppress and that evidence concerning the machete
    supported the conviction for carrying a concealed weapon.
    With regard to Lowman’s assignments of ineffective coun-
    sel that were alleged with sufficient particularity, the record
    either refuted the allegations or showed that trial coun-
    sel’s performance was not deficient. We affirm the district
    court’s judgment.
    Affirmed.
    38
    State v. Oliveira-Coutinho, 
    304 Neb. 147
    , 
    933 N.W.2d 825
     (2019).
    39
    State v. Lang, 
    supra note 5
    .