State v. Cutler, 57264

Decision Date08 October 1973
Docket NumberNo. 57264,No. 1,57264,1
Citation499 S.W.2d 387
PartiesSTATE of Missouri, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Nora CUTLER, Defendant-Appellant
CourtMissouri Supreme Court

John C. Danforth, Atty. Gen., Vincent F. Igoe, Jr., Asst. Atty. Gen., Jefferson City, for respondent.

Murray Stone and Nelson B. Rich, St. Louis, for appellant.

WELBORN, Commissioner.

Appeal from judgment and sentence of two years' imprisonment, entered on jury verdict finding Nora Cutler guilty of child molestation. § 563.160, RSMo 1969, V.A.M.S. (Notice of appeal filed prior to January 1, 1972.)

The charge against appellant arose from her fourteen-year-old duughter's engaging in lewd and indecent acts with an adult male, during which the male photographed the daughter. The charge against appellant was premised on the daughter's testimony that appellant arranged the meeting of July 16, 1970, between her daughter and the man, at which the acts and photographing occurred, and the testimony of the daughter that she received money from the man and gave it to her mother. The daughter testified that she overheard conversation between her mother and the man in which photographs and money were mentioned.

Appellant testified that she had no knowledge of the activities between her daughter and the man. She stated that she did not arrange for her daughter to meet him for the purpose of activities to which the daughter testified and denied that she received money from the daughter.

The man involved did not testify at the trial.

Over appellant's objection, the state was permitted to adduce testimony from an older daughter of appellant that in 1962 and 1963, when she was 13 or 14 years old, she posed nude for photographs by the man involved with her sister for which she received money which she gave to appellant whom she told of her activity.

The trial court erred in admitting such testimony. The state offered the evidence as showing 'a common scheme and design.' On appeal the admission of the evidence is sought to be upheld on the additional basis that it shows intent, guilty knowledge and motive. The state argues that, although the evidence was of a different offense, it was admissible under exceptions to the general rule prohibiting such evidence. State v. Lee, 486 S.W.2d 412 (Mo. 1972).

The remoteness of the incident involving the older daughter, some seven to eight years prior to the offense here charged, precluded the use of such evidence to show a common scheme and design....

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9 cases
  • State v. Bernard, No. 74775
    • United States
    • Missouri Supreme Court
    • February 23, 1993
    ...identical, it is not so unusual and distinctive as to be a signature of appellant's modus operandi. Appellant cites State v. Cutler, 499 S.W.2d 387, 388 (Mo.App.1973), and State v. Courter, 793 S.W.2d 386, 390 (Mo.App.1990), arguing that all of the events portrayed by the testimony of the f......
  • Agee v. Wyrick
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Eighth Circuit
    • December 30, 1976
    ...sexual misconduct involving the defendant and a person other than the prosecuting witness is inadmissible. See, e. g., State v. Cutler, 499 S.W.2d 387, 388 (Mo.1973); State v. Atkinson, 285 S.W.2d 563, 567 (Mo.1955); State v. Spinks, 344 Mo. 105, 114, 125 S.W.2d 60, 64-65 (1939); State v. B......
  • State v. McElroy
    • United States
    • Missouri Court of Appeals
    • January 13, 1975
    ...other than prosecutrix, would not lend itself to the necessity of invoking any exception to the general rule, supra. State v. Cutler, 499 S.W.2d 387, 388(2) (Mo.1973). For examples of cases involving similar sex crimes see State v. Bowman, 272 Mo. 491, 500--501(4, 5), 199 S.W. 161, 164(4, 5......
  • State v. Brooks, No. 57347
    • United States
    • Missouri Court of Appeals
    • May 14, 1991
    ...sequential acts of misconduct is significant. See, e.g. State v. Courter, 793 S.W.2d 386, 390 (Mo.App.1990); See also, State v. Cutler, 499 S.W.2d 387, 388 (Mo.1973). Proof of a plan may also show the charged and uncharged crimes are part of a plan directed against a common class of persons......
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