Sean A. Price v. State of Missouri

EDWARD R. ARDINI, JR., JUDGE

Sean Price (“Price”) appeals from a judgment denying his Rule 29.15 1 motion for post-conviction relief. Price argues that his trial counsel was ineffective during closing argument and that, as a result, he suffered prejudice. Price’s amended Rule 29.15 motion was not timely filed, however, so the motion court was required to first make an independent inquiry into whether Price was abandoned by post-conviction counsel. Because the motion court did not make such an inquiry, we cannot reach the merits of Price’s ineffective assistance of counsel claim and must…