State of Missouri v. Jason Russell

Summary

The court held that Russell was entitled to be sentenced for class A misdemeanor stealing because the governing precedent applied to his case before his judgment became final. It further held that a guilty plea did not bar him from raising the excessive-sentence claim on direct appeal, because the statutory right to appeal was not limited by the postconviction rule. The court reversed the felony judgment and remanded for misdemeanor resentencing.