Opinion ID: 2419836
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Double Jeopardy Argument

Text: Madison's second point on appeal argues that both the armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon charges seek to punish him for the same act and, therefore, subject him to double jeopardy. In determining allowable prosecution for double jeopardy purposes, a defendant can be convicted in a single trial of several offenses arising from the same set of facts without violating the double jeopardy clause. Missouri v. Hunter, 459 U.S. 359, 103 S.Ct. 673, 74 L.Ed.2d 535 (1983); see also, State v. Heslop, 842 S.W.2d 72, 74 (Mo. banc 1992), cert. denied, 508 U.S. 921, 113 S.Ct. 2369, 124 L.Ed.2d 275 (1993); State v. Morrow, 888 S.W.2d 387 (Mo.App. S.D.1994); State v. Foster, 838 S.W.2d 60, 66 (Mo.App. E.D.1992). Double jeopardy does not apply unless one offense contains all of the elements of the other offense. Blockburger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299, 52 S.Ct. 180, 76 L.Ed. 306 (1932). Missouri decisions on the issue, after Missouri v. Hunter, supra , have held that convictions for both unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action do not offend double jeopardy. See State v. Davis, 849 S.W.2d 34, 44 (Mo.App. W.D. 1993), State v. McKee, 826 S.W.2d 26, 30 (Mo.App. 1992), and State v. Gottsman, 796 S.W.2d 27, 30 (Mo.App.1990). Where, however, the armed criminal action conviction rests on some offense other than unlawful use of a weapon, conviction and punishment in the same trial of both armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon for the same conduct does not offend general cumulative punishment section 556.041 or the principle of double jeopardy. 849 S.W.2d at 44. In this case, the predicate offense for each of Madison's armed criminal action charges is the corresponding charge of first degree child endangerment, whose elements are distinctly different from armed criminal action. But more importantly, Madison, who was tried in a single proceeding for his conduct, is not being placed twice in jeopardy. Under Missouri v. Hunter, supra , there is nothing in these statutes to preclude cumulative punishment for these offenses which arise from the same conduct. Madison's convictions for unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action do not constitute double jeopardy.