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Criminal Law: Statutory Rape-Judgment of Acquittal
Staff Report//July 9, 2026//
Defendant appealed his convictions and sentence for statutory rape and statutory sodomy, arguing that the trial court erred in denying his motion for judgment of acquittal because the state failed to prove that defendant touched the victim’s genitals with his hand. Defendant also argued that the trial court made a clerical error in the written judgment.
Where the victim’s testimony supported a reasonable inference that defendant had touched her genitals, there was sufficient evidence to support the statutory sodomy conviction, but the written judgment failed to reflect the offense for which defendant was convicted.
Judgment is affirmed and remanded.
State v. Sawtelle (MLW No. 84950/Case No. ED113554 – 7 pages) (Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, Lay, J.) Appealed from circuit court, St. Francois County, King, J. (Carol Jansen for appellant) (Alex D. Beezley for respondent)
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