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Criminal Law: Severance-Child Molestation
Staff Report//April 13, 2020//
Where a defendant argued that a trial court erred when it refused to sever resisting-arrest and gun charges from child-molestation and statutory rape charges, the sex offense charges provided the basis for the state to bring the other charges and the evidence related to each of the four charges was distinct and uncomplicated, so the denial of severance was not erroneous, and the court also did not abuse its discretion by refusing to remove police officers from the courtroom, and the judgment is affirmed because the introduction of evidence that the victim’s sister had also been molested was not plain error.
Judgment is affirmed.
State v. Downum (MLW No. 74832/Case No. SD36081 – 20 pages) (Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, Burrell, J.) Appealed from circuit court, Jasper County, Dankelson, J.
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