PRESTON, ELROY
GENERAL INFORMATION
DOB: December 30, 1954
Race: African-American
Gender: Male
CRIME AND TRIAL
County of conviction: St. Louis City
Number of counts: 2
Race of victim: African-American/African-American
Gender of victim: Male/Female
Date of crime: September 21, 1981
Date of sentencing: July 2, 1982
TRIAL COUNSEL:
Peter Stragand and Christelle Adelman-Adler
LEGAL STATUS:
Current proceedings:
--NONE
Last judicial decision:
--Found incompetent to be executed by Associate Circuit Court of Washington County.
CURRENT COUNSEL:
Janis Good
Assistant Federal Public Defender
1010 Market St., Rm. 200
St. Louis, MO 63101
314-241-1255
REPORTED OPINIONS:
--Denial of habeas affirmed by Preston v. Delo, 100 F.3d 596 (8th Cir. 1996), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 943, rehearing denied, 522 U.S. 1037 (1997).
--Denial of post-conviction relief affirmed by Preston v. State, 736 S.W.2d 53 (Mo. App. E.D. 1987), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 1020 (1988).
--Conviction and sentence affirmed on direct appeal by State v. Preston, 673 S.W.2d 1 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 893 (1984).
SIGNIFICANT LEGAL ISSUES:
--Summary denial of Rule 91 petition by Missouri Supreme Court deemed "procedural" for purposes of determining existence of procedural default
--Trial counsel's failure to impeach state's key witness with medical records of witness's alcoholism
--Prosecutor's penalty-phase closing argument urging jury to "throw out" the "garbage."
--Trial counsel's failure to present any mitigating evidence during penalty phase