Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District / Feb 4, 2020
STATE OF MISSOURI, Respondent vs. WILLIAM GENE MORLANG, Appellant
William Gene Morlang was convicted of multiple counts of second-degree sodomy and sexual abuse. On appeal, Morlang challenged the trial court's denial of his oral motion for a continuance, made on the morning of the first day of trial. The appellate court affirmed the judgment, finding no abuse of discretion by the trial court in denying the motion because Morlang failed to demonstrate good cause for an oral motion under Rule 24.09, given his intentional delay in communicating with counsel.