Justia Criminal Law Opinion Summaries

Dennis O. Haynes III, serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, filed a motion requesting access to the warrants and their supporting materials in his criminal case. The district court granted him partial relief, allowing access to his arrest warrant and supporting affidavit but denying access to any search-warrant materials.Haynes initially pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including first-degree murder, in 2014 and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for 20 years. Nine years later, he filed a habeas corpus motion alleging ineffective assistance of counsel, which was refiled as a separate civil case. Subsequently, Haynes filed a postconviction motion in his criminal case requesting the probable-cause affidavits and all warrants. The district court denied this motion, but upon reconsideration, granted access to the arrest-warrant affidavit while denying access to search-warrant materials.The Kansas Supreme Court reviewed the case and found that K.S.A. 22-2302(b) and K.S.A. 22-2502(d) grant defendants a personal right to access affidavits or sworn testimony supporting arrest and search warrants, respectively, but do not address access to the warrants themselves. The court affirmed the district court's order granting Haynes access to the arrest-warrant affidavit but reversed the order denying access to search-warrant affidavits. The case was remanded with instructions to produce any search-warrant affidavits upon receipt of the necessary fee for production. View "State v. Haynes " on Justia Law

The case concerns a defendant who pleaded guilty to the premeditated murders of his mother and stepfather. In December 2021, he forced entry into their home, using a stolen firearm to shoot his mother six times and his stepfather four times. The defendant did not contest his responsibility for the crimes. Prior to sentencing, he presented evidence of severe mental illness, a troubled upbringing, and his acceptance of responsibility, seeking more lenient sentences based on these mitigating factors.The Bourbon District Court considered the defendant’s request for concurrent “hard 25” sentences, supported by expert testimony regarding his mental health and background. However, the court found that, while there were mitigating circumstances, they did not rise to the level of “substantial and compelling reasons” required to depart from the statutory “hard 50” sentence for premeditated first-degree murder. The court imposed two consecutive hard 50 sentences, emphasizing the brutal and premeditated nature of the crimes and the impact on the victims’ family. The defendant appealed directly to the Supreme Court of the State of Kansas, arguing that the district court abused its discretion in both the length and the consecutive nature of the sentences.The Supreme Court of the State of Kansas reviewed both sentencing decisions for abuse of discretion. The court held that the district court acted within its lawful discretion in declining to depart from the hard 50 sentences and in ordering the sentences to run consecutively. The court found that the mitigating evidence did not compel a lesser sentence given the facts of the case, and that the decision to impose consecutive sentences was reasonable in light of the gravity of the offenses. The defendant’s sentences were affirmed. View "State v. Mitchell " on Justia Law

Brian Beck was driving on Interstate 70 when a Geary County sheriff's deputy noticed that a frame around Beck's license plate partially obstructed the state name. The deputy executed a traffic stop, during which Beck appeared nervous and provided an odd explanation for his travel route. The deputy called for canine support, and the dog alerted to the presence of drugs. Beck consented to a search, and deputies found methamphetamine in his car. Beck was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possessing a controlled substance without a drug tax stamp, and interference with law enforcement.The Geary District Court denied Beck's motion to suppress the evidence obtained from the search, ruling that the partial obstruction of the state name on the license plate justified the traffic stop. Beck was found guilty on all counts by a jury. The Kansas Court of Appeals affirmed the district court's decision, agreeing that the partial obstruction of the state name constituted a violation of Kansas law, thus justifying the stop.The Kansas Supreme Court reviewed the case and reversed the lower courts' decisions. The court held that Kansas law does not require the state name on a license plate to be clearly legible, only the alphanumeric display and registration decal. Therefore, the partial obstruction of the state name did not provide reasonable suspicion for the traffic stop. The court reversed Beck's convictions based on the evidence obtained during the search and remanded the case to the district court for a new hearing to determine if there were other valid grounds for the stop and seizure. View "State v. Beck " on Justia Law

A three-year-old child, C.V., died in February 2019 while in the care of his mother’s domestic partner, Uraquio Arredondo, in Ulysses, Kansas. On the day of the incident, C.V. was behaving normally until left alone with Arredondo. Later that day, Arredondo called 911, reporting that C.V. had been in an accident. Emergency responders found C.V. unresponsive with extensive bruising. Medical examinations revealed that C.V. died from multiple blunt force injuries, including a fresh skull fracture and internal bleeding, with evidence of both recent and older injuries. Testimony from the daycare provider and C.V.’s father indicated prior signs of abuse, with C.V. attributing some injuries to Arredondo.The State charged Arredondo with felony murder and child abuse. He waived his right to a jury trial, and the Grant District Court judge found him guilty on both counts, imposing a life sentence for murder and a consecutive sentence for child abuse. During the investigation, law enforcement entered Arredondo’s residence three times without a warrant. Arredondo challenged the admissibility of evidence from the second and third entries, arguing lack of valid consent and coercion. He also sought to suppress his statements to law enforcement, claiming they were involuntary and made without Miranda warnings, but he had not objected to their admission at trial.The Supreme Court of the State of Kansas reviewed the case. It held that the second and third entries into the residence were lawful because Arredondo voluntarily consented to both searches, and the police lawfully secured the home based on probable cause. The court also found that Arredondo failed to preserve his challenge to the admissibility of his statements for appellate review. Finding no error, the court affirmed Arredondo’s convictions. View "State v. Arredondo " on Justia Law

A man was convicted of capital murder for the deaths of his girlfriend and her unborn child. The case against him was largely circumstantial. He reported finding the victim shot in her home, cooperated with police, and provided an account of his whereabouts, supported by his grandmother. The investigation included analysis of surveillance footage, U-Haul rental records, cell phone data, and forensic evidence, but no direct evidence placed him at the scene. The prosecution’s theory relied on the timing and mileage of a rented U-Haul, similarities between shell casings found at the crime scene and at a friend’s house, and the defendant’s purchase of a firearm and ammunition. The defense pointed to gaps in the evidence, alternative suspects, and the lack of direct forensic links.The Johnson District Court admitted some of the defendant’s statements to police, excluded certain ballistics testimony, and barred evidence of the victim’s past fears of an ex-boyfriend. After a three-week trial, a jury found the defendant guilty, and he was sentenced to life without parole. On appeal, the defendant argued that the prosecutor repeatedly violated the court’s order in limine by discussing excluded ballistics evidence and improperly asserted as fact that disputed evidence was undisputed, among other claims.The Supreme Court of the State of Kansas found multiple instances of prosecutorial error, including repeated violations of the order in limine and improper statements during closing argument that conveyed the prosecutor’s opinion on disputed facts. The court held that these errors were not harmless, given the circumstantial nature of the evidence and the meaningful gaps in the State’s case. Applying the constitutional harmlessness standard, the court concluded there was a reasonable possibility the errors contributed to the verdict. The conviction was reversed and the case remanded for further proceedings. View "State v. Wash " on Justia Law

Brian Stubbs was convicted of criminal use of a weapon and interference with law enforcement after an incident where he stabbed Edward McCutcheon with a large kitchen knife. Stubbs arrived uninvited at McCutcheon's apartment, leading to a fight. McCutcheon was seriously injured, and Stubbs fled the scene. Police pursued Stubbs, who ignored commands to stop, leading to his arrest.The Douglas District Court convicted Stubbs of criminal use of a weapon and interference with law enforcement. Stubbs appealed, arguing that the statute under which he was convicted was unconstitutionally vague and that there was insufficient evidence to support his conviction for interference with law enforcement. The Kansas Court of Appeals affirmed the district court's decision, holding that Stubbs lacked standing to challenge the statute's vagueness because he did not show it was vague as applied to his conduct.The Kansas Supreme Court reviewed the case and held that Stubbs had standing to bring an arbitrary-enforcement challenge to the statute. The court explained that such challenges are inherently facial because they dispute the legislature's authority to enact the statute at all. The court found that Stubbs' conviction under the allegedly void statute presented a concrete injury, satisfying the standing requirements.On the merits, the Kansas Supreme Court held that the statute's prohibition on possessing a "dangerous knife" with intent to use it "unlawfully against another" provided adequate enforcement guidelines. The court concluded that the statute did not invite arbitrary or discriminatory enforcement. Additionally, the court found sufficient evidence to support Stubbs' conviction for interference with law enforcement, as the jury could reasonably conclude that Stubbs knowingly obstructed the officer's duties. The court affirmed the judgments of both the Court of Appeals and the district court. View "State v. Stubbs " on Justia Law

Jason W. Phipps pled no contest to two felonies and two misdemeanors in 2022. His presentence investigation report calculated a criminal history score of B, which he contested, arguing that his 2010 conviction for criminal threat should not be counted due to a ruling in State v. Boettger that struck down reckless criminal threat as unconstitutional. The district court used the modified categorical approach and concluded that Phipps' conviction was for the intentional version of criminal threat, thus maintaining the B score for sentencing.The Kansas Court of Appeals reviewed the case while the United States Supreme Court issued Counterman v. Colorado, which held that a reckless mens rea is sufficient for a criminal threat conviction. The Court of Appeals determined that Counterman overruled Boettger, making it irrelevant whether Phipps' conviction was for reckless or intentional criminal threat, and affirmed his sentence.The Kansas Supreme Court granted Phipps' petition for review. During the review, Phipps completed his sentence, leading the court to question whether the case was moot. After further briefing, the court concluded that Phipps' release rendered the issues moot and overruled the precedent set in State v. Roat, which allowed for review of moot issues under certain exceptions. The court held that once an issue is determined to be moot, jurisdiction is extinguished, and no prudential exceptions apply. Consequently, Phipps' appeal was dismissed as moot, and the court did not address the merits of the Counterman decision. View "State v. Phipps " on Justia Law

Dary Jene Green shot and killed Angela Gatlin as she was getting out of his car in Kansas City, Kansas. Green waived his right to counsel before the preliminary hearing and represented himself through pretrial proceedings and trial. After a jury convicted him of premeditated first-degree murder, the district court briefly appointed counsel, but Green opted to resume self-representation before sentencing. The district court sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 50 years.The Wyandotte District Court found Green guilty of premeditated first-degree murder. Green appealed, arguing insufficient evidence of premeditation, the statute's vagueness, the district court's error in requiring evidence of a witness's unavailability, and the lack of a second waiver colloquy for self-representation at sentencing. The district court had denied Green's motions to dismiss charges due to an allegedly illegal arrest and ruled that his arrest was lawful. The court also addressed Green's Fifth Amendment claim, finding no interrogation occurred at the time of his arrest.The Kansas Supreme Court reviewed the case and affirmed the lower court's decision. The court held that there was sufficient evidence to support Green's conviction for premeditated first-degree murder, noting the use of a deadly weapon, lack of provocation, and Green's conduct before and after the killing. The court also found that the premeditated first-degree murder statute was not unconstitutionally vague, as the components of premeditation (time and consideration) provided explicit standards to prevent arbitrary enforcement. Additionally, the court ruled that the district court did not err in excluding the preliminary hearing testimony of an allegedly unavailable witness, as Green failed to present evidence of the witness's unavailability. Finally, the court held that Green knowingly and intelligently waived his right to counsel at sentencing, as the brief appointment of counsel did not substantially change the circumstances requiring a new waiver. View "State v. Green " on Justia Law

Terry Eugene Ross Jr. was charged with multiple crimes, including domestic violence against his wife A.R., sexual abuse of his stepdaughters H.L. and D.L., and violations of protection orders. The incidents occurred between January and August 2019, with Ross allegedly exerting control and committing acts of violence and sexual abuse within the household. The State of Kansas consolidated five separate cases against Ross for trial, arguing that the crimes were part of a common scheme or plan to dominate and control the women in his household.The Sedgwick District Court granted the State's motion to consolidate the cases, finding that the crimes were of the same or similar character and part of a common scheme or plan. The court also ruled that the probative value of consolidating the cases outweighed any potential prejudice to Ross. Ross was convicted on most charges, but acquitted on a few, including aggravated assault and unlawful discharge of a firearm. He was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences plus additional time for other charges.The Kansas Court of Appeals reversed Ross' convictions, finding errors in the district court's decision to consolidate the cases and identifying prosecutorial error. The panel also concluded that the jury's convictions on two alternatively charged counts warranted reversal. The State petitioned for review, and Ross conditionally cross-petitioned.The Kansas Supreme Court held that the district court did not err in consolidating the cases, as the crimes were part of a common scheme or plan. The court also found no prosecutorial error in the opening statements and concluded that Ross failed to preserve a challenge to the inadvertent publication of an unredacted 911 call. The cumulative error doctrine did not apply as no errors were found. The Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals' decision, except for the two convictions on counts two and three of 19-CR-2036, which were left undisturbed and remanded for further proceedings. View "State v. Ross " on Justia Law

Mika Lee Thille was convicted of reckless second-degree murder after an incident at Justin Willingham's house. Thille, along with three companions, went to the house to confront his brother Max, who was using heroin there and had allegedly stolen handbags from one of the companions, Valerie Vogel. Upon arrival, a confrontation ensued between Thille and Willingham, during which Willingham was shot and killed. Witnesses provided conflicting accounts of the events, with some claiming Thille fired the shots and others suggesting Willingham had a gun and fired first.The Saline District Court charged Thille with first-degree premeditated and felony murder, among other charges. The jury convicted him of reckless second-degree murder but acquitted him of the other charges. Thille appealed, arguing that the district court erred by not providing jury instructions for voluntary manslaughter under sudden quarrel and imperfect self-defense theories, as well as for involuntary manslaughter.The Kansas Court of Appeals upheld the district court's decision, finding that the voluntary manslaughter instructions were not factually appropriate. The court reasoned that there was no evidence of sufficient provocation or an honest belief that lethal force was necessary. The panel also held that while an involuntary manslaughter instruction was factually appropriate, the district court's failure to give it was harmless.The Kansas Supreme Court reviewed the case and affirmed the lower courts' decisions. The court agreed that the voluntary manslaughter instructions were not factually appropriate due to a lack of sufficient provocation and no evidence of an honest belief in the necessity of lethal force. The court also found that the failure to instruct on involuntary manslaughter was not clear error, as the evidence strongly supported the jury's conclusion of reckless second-degree murder. View "State v. Thille " on Justia Law