Court Opinion

ID: 9684962
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 14:19:56.395061+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:07:19.069742
License: Public Domain

FINCH, Senior Judge,
concurring in result.
I conclude that whether it was error to instruct on first degree murder in this case is governed by this court’s decision in State v. Goddard, 649 S.W.2d 882 (Mo. banc 1983). The effect of that decision is that when, as here, the trial preceded the decision in State v. Baker, 636 S.W.2d 902 (Mo. banc 1982), instructing down to first degree murder when capital murder is charged does not violate the rule stated in State v. Gladies, 456 S.W.2d 23 (Mo.1970) and Montgomery v. State, 454 S.W.2d 571 (Mo.1970). On that basis I feel compelled to and do concur in the result reached in the principal opinion.