Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced today that his office successfully defended the convictions of Calvin Pittman at the Eastern District Court of Appeals. Pittman was convicted on one count of voluntary manslaughter, two counts of armed criminal action, and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. The appeals court upheld the circuit court’s judgment and denied Pittman's claims regarding the prosecutor’s closing argument.
“As Attorney General, I will enforce the laws to protect Missourians, which includes fighting to uphold the convictions of dangerous criminals,” said Attorney General Bailey. “Safer streets lead to prosperous communities. I am proud of the work my Criminal Appeals Unit put into this case to obtain justice for the victim.”
Police identified Pittman's vehicle using surveillance videos and arrested him four days after a 2020 road rage incident in which the victim, who was in a different vehicle, was shot in the forehead and killed. Pittman then drove away without calling 911 or reporting the incident.
The Court of Appeals rejected Pittman's claims that the prosecutor's closing arguments had shifted the burden of proof onto him and affirmed his sentences totaling thirty-one years' imprisonment.
Read the Court’s opinion here.