MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
It is hereby ORDERED that the judgment so appealed from be and the same hereby is unanimously affirmed.
Memorandum: On appeal from a judgment convicting him following a jury trial of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree (Penal Law § 170.25), defendant contends that the verdict is against the weight of the evidence. We reject that contention. There is no basis to conclude that the jury failed to give the identification evidence the weight it should be accorded ( see People v. Bleakley, 69 N.Y.2d 490, 495). We further reject the contention of defendant that he was denied effective assistance of counsel. With respect to defense counsel's alleged failure to obtain expert testimony or evidence, defendant has not demonstrated that such testimony or evidence was available or that it would have assisted the jury in its determination ( see People v. Jurgensen, 288 A.D.2d 937, lv denied 97 N.Y.2d 684; People v. Castricone, 224 A.D.2d 1019, 1020; see also People v. Skinner, 224 A.D.2d 916). The further contention of defendant that he received ineffective assistance of counsel because he was advised by counsel not to testify "implicates strategic discussions between defendant and counsel that are dehors the record," and thus that contention is not reviewable on direct appeal ( People v. Sanders, 289 A.D.2d 101, 101, lv denied 97 N.Y.2d 760; see People v. Pozo, 285 A.D.2d 520, lv denied 99 N.Y.2d 538). The remaining instances of alleged ineffective assistance lack merit. Viewing the evidence, the law and the circumstances of this case, in totality and as of the time of the representation, we conclude that defendant received meaningful representation ( see generally People v. Baldi, 54 N.Y.2d 137, 147). The sentence is neither unduly harsh nor severe.