Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District / Oct 27, 2020
Malcolm Couch, Appellant, vs. State of Missouri, Respondent.
Malcolm Couch appealed the denial of his Rule 24.035 motion for post-conviction relief after pleading guilty to six counts of unlawful merchandising practices. Couch argued that one of the charges violated double jeopardy and that his plea counsel was ineffective for various reasons, including failing to advise on double jeopardy, inducing his plea with promises, and failing to advocate for a lesser sentence. The appellate court affirmed the motion court's denial, finding no clear error in its conclusions that there was no double jeopardy violation and no ineffective assistance of counsel.