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Editor: Colin Miller

Missouri Court of Appeals Doesn’t Reverse Conviction Despite Prosecutor’s Comment During Closing That Guilt Beyond a Reasonable Doubt is Less Than 87% Probablity

It is well established that prosecutors are not allowed to try to quantify the concept of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt during closing arguments. A prosecutor did just that in State v. Munguia-Hernandez, 2026 WL 1345991 (Mo.App. 2026), but it wasn’t enough for the Missouri Court of Appeals to reverse. Why?

In Munguia-Hernandez, the defendant was charged with domestic assault in the fourth degree and invasion of privacy. During closing arguments, the prosecutor …

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