A jury found Bryon Chancellor guilty of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Chancellor was acquitted of trafficking in methamphetamine. Despite trial counsel’s success in securing an acquittal on the trafficking charge, Chancellor contends he was denied effective assistance of counsel because his trial counsel 1 failed to prepare for the defense of the case prior to trial by subpoenaing or calling witnesses; 2 failed to inform Chancellor of the state’s evidence against him; and 3 failed to prepare Chancellor to testify at trial. The trial court found that Chancellor received effective assistance of counsel. We agree and affirm Chancellor’s conviction. To prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a defendant must show two things: 1 that counsel’s performance was deficient, and 2 that the deficiency prejudiced the defense.1 The trial judge, who oversaw the trial and heard the evidence presented at the hearing on the motion for new trial, makes the findings on whether the performance was deficient and whether it prejudiced the defendant, findings that this Court does not disturb unless clearly erroneous.2 In evaluating an attorney’s performance, there is a strong presumption that counsel’s conduct falls within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance.3 We will not reverse on the basis of ineffective assistance of counsel unless trial counsel’s conduct so undermined the proper functioning of the adversarial process that the trial court could not reliably have produced a just result.4
Here, the record shows that narcotics agents with the Henry County police department arranged to buy four ounces of methamphetamine from William Hawkins, Chancellor’s co-defendant. The sale was to take place in the parking lot of a local restaurant. When Hawkins arrived to make the sale, Chancellor was traveling with him, and Hawkins later made a statement that Chancellor was his source for narcotics. Both Hawkins and Chancellor were arrested. A black bag observed in Chancellor’s lap contained a set of electronic scales, playing cards, baggies, and approximately fourteen grams of methamphetamine.
