Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District / Jul 13, 2020
STATE OF MISSOURI, Respondent v. RANDY HARLON RICHARDSON, Appellant
Randy Harlon Richardson appealed his conviction for first-degree rape, arguing the trial court erred by denying his motion to dismiss. Richardson contended that the State's failure to preserve the victim's cellphone, which he believed contained exculpatory text messages, constituted bad faith. The appellate court affirmed the conviction, finding no abuse of discretion by the trial court in denying the motion to dismiss, particularly as defense counsel opted for a stipulation and broad latitude in cross-examination over the State's offer to retrieve records.