State v. Rickman
State v. Rickman
Opinion of the Court
James Darren Rickman (defendant) was convicted, following trial before the court without a jury, of escape from custody. He appeals the conviction alleging, among other things, that the evidence did not support his conviction of the offense with which he was charged. This court agrees. The judgment is reversed. The ease is remanded with directions.
' ' Defendant was confined in the Lawrence County jail following his arrest on various felony charges when he escaped through ceiling ductwork in his cell. The ductwork led to the roof. A lower panel on the roof was pried down. Defendant escaped through that gap.
Defendant was charged with escape from custody in violation of § 575.200.
“ ‘Place of confinement’ means any building or facility and the grounds thereof
The state concedes the merit of defendant’s appeal acknowledging that because he was confined when he escaped, having already been delivered to a place of confinement, he did not escape “from custody” in violation of § 575.200. The evidence would have supported a conviction of escape from confinement in violation of § 575.210.1; however, defendant was not charged with or convicted of that offense.
. References to § 575.200 and § 575.210 are to RSMo 1986. References to § 556.061 are to RSMo Cum.Supp.1993. The incident that led to defendant’s charge occurred April 26, 1994.
. Section 575.210.1 provides that "[a] person commits the crime of escape ... from confinement if, while being held in confinement after arrest for any crime, ... he escapes ... from confinement.”
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.