Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District / Feb 1, 2023
STATE OF MISSOURI, Plaintiff-Respondent v. MATTHEW THOMAS ESTES, Defendant-Appellant
Matthew Thomas Estes appealed his convictions for first-degree assault and child abuse, arguing violations of his constitutional right to a speedy trial and prosecutorial misconduct during closing arguments. The trial court sentenced Estes to concurrent terms of 30 and 16 years. The appellate court affirmed the judgment, finding Estes failed to preserve his speedy trial claim for de novo review and could not demonstrate manifest injustice. The court also concluded that the prosecutor's closing argument was supported by evidence and did not constitute misconduct or plain error.