Opinion ID: 2459991
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Testimony of Jeremy Andrews

Text: The first of Hutchison's unpreserved points on appeal is that the trial court erred by allowing Jeremy Andrews to testify that Hutchison punched Andrews in the head, for no apparent reason, during the Lopez's party. Hutchison claims that this evidence is irrelevant prior bad act evidence that served no evidentiary purpose and prejudiced the jury against him. We find no manifest injustice or miscarriage of justice resulted from the admission of this evidence. Evidence that Hutchison punched a person at the party merely provided some context for the evening as a whole. We do not believe that admission of this evidence could have affected the jury's consideration adverse to appellant. This evidence simply pales in light of the more specific and incriminating evidence regarding the execution-style murders of Ronald and Brian Yates. Because we find no manifest injustice or miscarriage of justice, we do not review for plain error. State v. Simmons, 955 S.W.2d 729 (Mo. banc 1997); State v. Roberts, 948 S.W.2d 577 (Mo. banc 1997); State v. Clemons, 946 S.W.2d 206 (Mo. banc 1997), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 118 S.Ct. 416, 139 L.Ed.2d 318 (1997); State v. Brown, 902 S.W.2d 278 (Mo. banc 1995), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 116 S.Ct. 679, 133 L.Ed.2d 527 (1995). This point is denied.