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Date: 09-26-2024
Case Style:
Prosecuting Attorney, 21st Judicial Circuit re rel. Marcelus Williams v. State of Missouri, et al.
Case Number: SC100764
Judge: Circuit Court, St. Louis County, Missouri
Court:
Plaintiff's Attorney: St. Louis County Missouri Prosecuting Attorney's Office
Defendant's Attorney: Missouri Attorney General's Office
Description:
St. Louis, Missouri Prosecuting attorney represented the Plaintiff seeking dismissal of the charges filed against him and exoneration.
Despite nearly a quarter century of litigation in both state and federal courts, there
is no credible evidence of actual innocence or any showing of a constitutional error
undermining confidence in the original judgment. Like every other court that reviewed
every appeal and every habeas petition, the circuit court in this case correctly concluded
there is no basis for setting aside Marcellus Williams' conviction and sentence. By
proposing findings of fact and conclusions of law abandoning the claim of actual innocence
and not appealing the circuit court's merits determination, the St. Louis County Prosecuting
Attorney ("Prosecutor") irrefutably demonstrates what every court has found – that there
is no clear and convincing evidence that Williams is actually innocent.
Prosecutor appeals a civil judgment overruling his motion to set aside or vacate
Williams' first-degree murder conviction and death sentence pursuant to § 547.031, RSMo
Supp. 2021. The circuit court's judgment is supported by substantial evidence, is not
against the weight of the evidence, and does not erroneously declare or apply the law. The
judgment is affirmed.
An appeal from a judgment denying relief under § 547.031 does not automatically
stay an execution date. See State ex rel. Bailey v. Sengheiser, 692 S.W.3d 20, 24 (Mo. banc
2024) (holding this Court's rules do not provide for an automatic stay of a judgment
disposing of a § 547.031 motion). Williams filed a motion to stay his September 24, 2024,
execution date during the pendency of this appeal from the judgment overruling
Prosecutor's § 547.031 motion.1 Further, as explained in this Court's opinion, because this
Court rejects this appeal on the merits, the motion for stay of execution is overruled as
moot. Because Prosecutor failed to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence
Williams' actual innocence or constitutional error at the original criminal trial that
undermines the confidence in the judgment of the original criminal trial, the judgment
overruling Prosecutor's § 547.031 motion is affirmed
Outcome: Affirmed
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: