Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District / Mar 2, 2023
STATE OF MISSOURI, Respondent vs. SHAWN KELLY MARTIN, Appellant
Shawn Martin was convicted of first-degree statutory rape and four counts of first-degree statutory sodomy. On appeal, Martin sought plain error review, arguing the circuit court erred by not declaring a mistrial or issuing a curative instruction regarding the prosecutor's closing argument, and by admitting a detective's statements vouching for the victim's credibility. The appellate court affirmed the convictions, declining to engage in plain error review because Martin failed to demonstrate that a manifest injustice or miscarriage of justice resulted from the alleged errors.