Walter Jack Staten Missouri Cases

Walter Jack Staten appealed the denial of his Rule 24.035 amended motion for post-conviction relief. Staten argued the circuit court lacked jurisdiction to accept his 2013 guilty plea because his initial 2012 Rule 24.035 motion was filed and adjudicated under the underlying criminal case number, rendering the subsequent proceedings void. He also claimed ineffective assistance of counsel for failing to object to this alleged jurisdictional defect and double jeopardy. The Missouri Supreme Court affirmed the motion court's judgment, holding that a motion court retains jurisdiction over timely filed Rule 24.035 motions regardless of the case number used, and thus counsel was not ineffective.