A jury found Perry Hubbard guilty of: possessing cocaine with intent to distribute; obstructing or hindering a law enforcement officer; driving without proof of insurance; driving with a suspended or revoked license; and possessing an open container of an alcoholic beverage while operating a vehicle. On appeal, Hubbard contends that he was denied his right to effective assistance of counsel in that his trial counsel: 1 failed to file a motion to suppress; 2 failed to object to the introduction of prior similar transaction evidence; and 3 failed to object when the State elicited his testimony that he had been convicted of involuntary manslaughter. We disagree and affirm. Viewed in a light most favorable to the jury’s verdict,1 the evidence showed that on October 14, 1998, the Columbus Police Department was operating a traffic checkpoint. Several members of a citizen group —Carver Heights Against Drugs “CHAD” —were observing the roadblock. Hubbard, who was driving a vehicle, did not immediately slow down as he approached the checkpoint. Police yelled, instructing him to stop, and one officer stepped in front of Hubbard’s vehicle. As he approached, Officer Williams observed an opened container of beer on the console in Hubbard’s vehicle. Williams recognized Hubbard from a previous incident and recalled that he did not have a valid driver’s license. The officer asked Hubbard to step out of the vehicle, and Williams observed Hubbard reach into his right pocket and withdraw his closed fist. The officer grabbed Hubbard’s arm and an altercation ensued. With the assistance of additional officers, the police were able to remove Hubbard from the car, at which time Williams observed him transfer an object from his right hand to his left hand. While the police were trying to secure Hubbard’s hands behind his back, they observed him toss an object under the vehicle. The police retrieved the object, a matchbox, which contained seven pieces of cocaine. One of the members of CHAD saw Hubbard throw the match box under his vehicle, and two others observed it under the vehicle.
Following his conviction, Hubbard filed a motion for new trial, arguing that his trial attorney was ineffective. After the hearing at which Hubbard presented the testimony of his trial counsel, the trial court denied the motion for new trial. In three enumerations of error, Hubbard challenges this ruling.
