Appeals Court upholds Stone County man’s conviction of sex crime against a child

A Stone County man convicted of sex crimes against a child has had an appeal for a new trial denied by the state court of appeals.

69-year-old Michael Alexander was indicted in 2020 and found guilty after a two-day trial on a charge of touching a child for lustful purposes. The child was 14 when the crime began.

He was sentenced to 15 years and ordered to pay court costs and an assessment ot the Mississippi Children’s Trust Fund.

Alexander asked for a new trial based on four factors — prosecutorial misconduct during closing arguments, For-cause challenge to a juror, simple assault jury instruction and cumulative error.

The Appeals Court found that based on the court records, Alexander’s challenges to his conviction are not persuasive and lacked merit.

The court then affirmed Alexander’s conviction and sentence.