Ritz v. State

The defendant, Anthony William Ritz, Jr., appeals the final judgment of the trial court adjudicating him guilty of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and sentencing him to ten years in prison. We reverse the trial court’s denial of the defendant’s motion for a mistrial because we find that the trial court incorrectly allowed the State to present, and subsequently rely on, evidence of the defendant’s prior bad acts. Although we reverse on this issue, we are not persuaded by the defendant’s other arguments on appeal.

I. Factual Background

L.B. testified that from 1999 through 2003 she lived…