Ross v. Missouri

Appellant Ricky Ross filed a motion challenging the constitutional validity of Missouri's second-degree statutory rape statute. He was convicted and sentenced under this statute. On the day his case was set for trial, Appellant appeared in court and announced that he wished to plead guilty to spare the victim and her family from having to go through trial. The trial court accepted Appellant's plea, and sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment. Thereafter, Appellant sought post-conviction relief, arguing that the statute under which he was convicted was unconstitutional because it was adopted in violation of the Missouri Constitution. After an evidentiary hearing, the appellate court overruled Appellant's motion. The Supreme Court did not reach the merits of Appellant's appeal. Appellant waived his claim to challenge the statute because he did not raise the issue before he plead guilty. The Supreme Court found that the appellate court did not err in overruling Appellant's motion for post-conviction relief, and the Court affirmed the decision.