State v. Peoples

SHANGLER, Judge.

The defendant Peoples was charged with murder in the second degree, was found by a jury guilty of manslaughter [§ 565.005, RSMo 1978] and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment for four years. There was evidence that Peoples acted in self-defense and that issue was submitted to the jury. The appeal contends error in that submission and also that other decisions of the court prejudiced the trial.

The defendant Peoples was a forklift operator for a pallet company. He was a recent employee and there was dissatisfaction with his work performance. On the day of the event, the…