Missouri Man’s Conviction for Forcible Rape and First-Degree Burglary Will Stand According to Appeals Court

In May of 2013, 35-year-old Moses Grayson was found guilty in a Stoddard County courtroom of first-degree burglary, and forcible sodomy. According to news reports, it took the jury just over an hour to reach the guilty verdicts.

Grayson is accused of entering the victim’s Dexter home and forcibly raping her in May of 2011. He allegedly parked his van down the road, then walked into the back yard of the 31-year-old victim’s home, where he cut the screen from a window using a pocket knife, then entered and found the woman sleeping in her bed. Grayson is accused of threatening to kill the woman and holding the knife against her throat; he also allegedly struck her in the head when she refused to follow verbal commands.

News reports indicate that Grayson must serve time for the forcible sodomy charge before he begins serving time for the burglary. He must serve a minimum of 25 years and six months for the forcible rape charge, which is 85% of the maximum sentence allowed in Missouri. Once that sentence is served, he will begin serving the burglary sentence.

Although news articles did not reveal the grounds on which Grayson and his attorney appealed his convictions, the Missouri Court of Appeals upheld the convictions on July 23. If Grayson serves the minimum sentence for both convictions, he will be 71 years old before he is eligible for release. If he serves the maximum sentence, he will be 86 years old before being released from prison.

Individuals who are convicted of a crime have the right to appeal a conviction or sentence. Many who are sentenced to prison time are not aware that they have other options. Like everything else in life that is controlled by humans, mistakes may be made in the criminal justice system. Whether a judge or jury erred, or police collected evidence unlawfully, you may choose to appeal your conviction to the Michigan Court of Appeals. However, it is important to note that winning an appeal is not a simple matter, and can never be guaranteed by any attorney. The process of appealing a conviction or sentence may move even further up from the appeals court, going on to a state supreme court and eventually the U.S. Supreme Court in some cases.

From ineffective assistance of counsel to witness testimony, there are numerous reasons a defendant may wish to appeal his or her conviction. Be sure to choose a Michigan criminal appeals attorney who is highly experienced and knowledgeable in the appeals process so that you have the best possible chance of winning.

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