Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District / Jun 8, 2021
William Donnell Edwards, Appellant, vs. State of Missouri, Respondent.
William Donnell Edwards appealed the denial of his amended Rule 29.15 motion for post-conviction relief, which alleged ineffective assistance of counsel. Edwards contended that the motion court erred by failing to conduct a required abandonment inquiry after his motion counsel untimely filed the amended motion. The appellate court reversed and remanded the case, agreeing that the motion court either failed to conduct an abandonment inquiry or did not create a record of it susceptible to appellate review, which is required when an amended motion is untimely.