Brauch v. State, 42758

Decision Date27 January 1981
Docket NumberNo. 42758,42758
Citation611 S.W.2d 406
PartiesDonald BRAUCH, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. STATE of Missouri, Defendant-Respondent.
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals

William F. Brighoff, Troy, for plaintiff-appellant.

John Ashcroft, Atty. Gen., S. Francois Baldwin, Asst. Atty. Gen., Jefferson City, for defendant-respondent.

SNYDER, Judge.

Movant appeals from the judgment dismissing his second Rule 27.26 motion. The gravamen of the appeal is whether the trial court's order sufficiently complies with the decision in Fields v. State, 572 S.W.2d 477 (Mo. banc 1978), which requires the trial court to make specific findings of fact and conclusions of law when ruling upon post-conviction motions.

Movant complains specifically that the trial court failed to make specific findings of fact and conclusions of law and dismissed the motion solely because it was the second Rule 27.26 motion and thus automatically barred. The point is meritorious and the cause is reversed and remanded.

Movant was convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to like imprisonment on June 6, 1974. The judgment was affirmed on appeal, State v. Brauch, 529 S.W.2d 926 (Mo. App. 1975). His first Rule 27.26 motion was filed on November 18, 1976 and summarily denied without an evidentiary hearing on November 23, 1977. A motion to set aside the judgment denying the 27.26 motion was filed on December 23, 1977 and denied on April 27, 1978.

The second Rule 27.26 motion was filed on June 13, 1979. The state filed a motion to dismiss which was granted by the trial court from the bench after oral argument "for the reasons set forth by counsel for the State in both of (sic) his original opening statement as well as his rebuttal statement." The court requested counsel to prepare the memorandum order, and a formal order was entered granting the state's motion to dismiss "for the reasons stated in the States (sic) motion to dismiss." The reason given in the state's motion was "under the law of the State of Missouri the defendant is entitled to a filing and ruling on of one Motion under Rule 27.26."

Specific findings of fact and conclusions of law have been required in Rule 27.26 proceedings since the Missouri Supreme Court's opinion in Fields v. State, 572 S.W.2d 477 (Mo. banc 1978). In Fields, on page 483(2, 3) the supreme court said, "Nor will findings and conclusions be supplied by implication from the trial court's ruling. Specific findings and...

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8 cases
  • Huffman v. State
    • United States
    • Missouri Court of Appeals
    • March 27, 1984
    ...represented", Fowler v. State, 588 S.W.2d 249, 250 (Mo.App.1979); "for the reasons set forth by counsel for the State", Brauch v. State, 611 S.W.2d 406, 407 (Mo.App.1981); "the findings and records of this case clearly show conclusively that movant is not entitled to have his sentence vacat......
  • Malone v. State
    • United States
    • Missouri Court of Appeals
    • March 8, 1988
    ...Morris v. State, 690 S.W.2d 818, 819 (Mo.App.1985). We have carefully examined the cases upon which movant relies. In Brauch v. State, 611 S.W.2d 406 (Mo.App.1981), we ruled that the motion court's written order dismissing the movant's 27.26 motion, "for the reasons stated in the States (si......
  • Johnson v. State, s. 42648
    • United States
    • Missouri Court of Appeals
    • March 3, 1981
    ...requirement in Rule 27.26(i) of specific findings of fact and conclusions of law has been strictly enforced. See e. g., Brauch v. State, 611 S.W.2d 406 (Mo.App.1981); Carns v. State, 598 S.W.2d 157 (Mo.App.1980); Fowler v. State, 588 S.W.2d 249 (Mo.App.1979). However, the failure to make fi......
  • Brauch v. State, 64056
    • United States
    • Missouri Supreme Court
    • June 30, 1983
    ...of law. On appeal, the Eastern District Court of Appeals reversed and remanded for specific findings and conclusions. Brauch v. State, 611 S.W.2d 406 (Mo.App.1981). On April 15, 1981, the trial court entered judgment, with findings of fact and conclusions of law, denying relief to movant. T......
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