ERNEST ENGLES Missouri Cases

Ernest Engles appealed the motion court's denial of his Rule 29.15 motion for post-conviction relief, asserting ineffective assistance of trial and appellate counsel and a due process violation. Engles claimed trial counsel failed to object to the prosecutor's closing argument and appellate counsel failed to raise the issue on direct appeal. The appellate court affirmed the denial, finding that trial counsel's decision was a strategic and non-meritorious objection, appellate counsel was not ineffective for failing to raise non-meritorious claims, and the due process claim was not cognizable in a Rule 29.15 proceeding.