O'NEAL v. State

Sognier, Judge.

Appellant was convicted of rape. On appeal he contends the trial court erred by allowing the state to introduce evidence of a prior rape committed by appellant, and by denying his motion for a mistrial when allegedly improper remarks were made by the prosecuting attorney in closing argument.

1. Appellant raped the victim after threatening her with a knife, dragging her into a bedroom, striking her and forcibly removing her clothes. He then threatened to kill the victim if she told her boyfriend what had happened. The state was allowed to present evidence that in 1976 appellant…