Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District / Aug 2, 2018
STATE OF MISSOURI, Plaintiff-Respondent, vs. JOY LEE GAY, Defendant-Appellant.
Joy Lee Gay appealed her convictions for inhaling solvent fumes and failing to park her vehicle as near the right-hand side of the highway as practicable. The trial court found Gay guilty after a bench trial. The appellate court reversed Gay's conviction for inhaling solvent fumes, finding the State failed to present evidence that the substance was a solvent and the trial court improperly relied on personal knowledge. However, the court affirmed the conviction for improper parking, concluding there was sufficient circumstantial evidence that Gay knowingly committed the offense.