In Re JC

925 P.2d 415, 260 Kan. 851
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedOctober 25, 1996
Docket74,765
StatusPublished

This text of 925 P.2d 415 (In Re JC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re JC, 925 P.2d 415, 260 Kan. 851 (kan 1996).

Opinion

260 Kan. 851 (1996)
925 P.2d 415

In the Matter of J.C., A Juvenile under the Age of 18 Years, DOB: 06/06/77.

No. 74,765.

Supreme Court of Kansas.

Opinion filed October 25, 1996.

Michael E. Riling, of Riling, Burkhead, Fairchild & Nitcher, Chartered, of Lawrence, argued the cause and was on the brief for appellant.

John F. Wilcox, Jr., assistant district attorney, argued the cause, and Gerard E. Little, assistant district attorney, Mark A. Knight, district attorney, and Carla J. Stovall, attorney general, were on the brief for appellee.

The opinion of the court was delivered by

LOCKETT, J.:

J.C., a juvenile, was charged with a felony. Due to the juvenile's prior adjudication, he was prosecuted as an adult pursuant to K.S.A. 1994 Supp. 38-1602. J.C. appeals the denial of his motion to set aside the prior adjudication, claiming K.S.A. 38-1633(b)(1) required the judge to advise him that (1) the charge to which he stipulated was classified as a felony for adult sentencing purposes and (2) stipulation to a felony charge would affect his status as a juvenile offender should he be charged with future felonies.

A juvenile is a person 10 or more years of age but less than 18 years of age. A juvenile offender is generally defined as a person who does an act while a juvenile which if done by an adult would *852 constitute the commission of a felony or misdemeanor. K.S.A. 38-1602.

When J.C. pled to the first felony, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, as a juvenile in 1993, K.S.A. 38-1602(b)(3) provided that the term "juvenile offender" did not include a person 16 years or older who had two prior juvenile felony adjudications. One and one-half years later, J.C. was charged with aggravated arson, a felony. Due to J.C.'s plea and adjudication in 1993, he was prosecuted as an adult pursuant to K.S.A. 1994 Supp. 38-1602. At the time J.C. was charged with the second felony, the statute had been amended to provide that only one prior felony adjudication would result in loss of juvenile offender status for a juvenile 16 years of age or older. K.S.A. 1994 Supp. 38-1602(b)(3).

In an effort to keep from being prosecuted as an adult and to remain under the Juvenile Offenders Code, J.C. filed a motion to set aside the prior 1993 adjudication. J.C. asserted that the prior 1993 adjudication must be set aside because the judge who accepted his stipulation and the plea advisory statement he had signed failed to advise him that (1) he was stipulating to a charge which would be classified as a felony if he were an adult and (2) his stipulation to a felony adjudication would affect his classification as a juvenile offender for subsequent offenses.

At the hearing to set aside the 1993 adjudication, J.C. testified that, at the time of the stipulation, he had not been informed of the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor or of the effect a stipulation to a felony would have on his status as a juvenile offender for a subsequent felony charge. The judge reviewed the record and concluded that J.C. had been adequately informed of the nature and consequences of the charges against him as required by K.S.A. 38-1633(b). The judge determined that the statute in effect at the time did not require that a juvenile be informed of the possible future consequences of stipulation to a felony charge and denied the motion. J.C. appealed.

1993 Adjudication Record

On May 10, 1993, J.C. was charged with four counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer. In the complaint, the *853 charges were stated to be violations of K.S.A. 21-3411, class C felonies. The law required that if a juvenile is being detained, a detention hearing must be held within 24 hours after the juvenile is taken into custody. K.S.A. 38-1632(a)(2). At his detention hearing, J.C. waived reading of the complaint and stipulated to the factual basis for detention. A juvenile caseworker then testified that she was aware that J.C. had been charged with class C felonies. J.C. was held for further proceedings.

At a subsequent plea hearing, J.C. stipulated to one felony charge in exchange for the State's dismissal of the other three felony charges. J.C. signed a plea advisory form. The plea advisory form J.C. signed indicated that J.C. understood that he was charged with aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, in violation of K.S.A. 21-3411. The form stated the requirements of K.S.A. 38-1633 and set forth the constitutional rights J.C. was waiving by his stipulation and the immediate potential consequences of his stipulation and adjudication, i.e., possible probation, house arrest, placement in a community corrections facility, or outside placement.

After consultation with his attorney, J.C. signed the form and initialed the section of the plea advisory listing the charge and also indicated that he understood the nature of the charge. J.C. informed the judge that he had reviewed the plea agreement with his attorney and understood it. The judge then reviewed the elements of the charge and asked whether J.C. wanted to admit to the elements of the charge. J.C. stated that he did.

The judge requested J.C. to describe in detail the events that gave rise to the charge. J.C. testified he had threatened a police officer with a knife with an 8-inch blade. J.C. admitted it was reasonable for the officer to fear he might be hurt. At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge found that J.C.'s admission was knowledgeable and voluntary and that there was a factual basis for the stipulation. The judge then found that J.C. was a juvenile offender, "having committed an act that would be a class C felony, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer."

The judge filed a journal entry of adjudication. The journal entry indicated that J.C. had stipulated to Count II of the complaint, *854 aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, an offense that would be a class C felony if he were an adult; that the stipulation was knowledgeable and voluntary; and that "the Respondent [was] a juvenile offender, having committed an act that would be a Class C felony, if Respondent were an adult."

Neither the judge nor the journal entry informed J.C. of the effect that J.C.'s plea would have upon his status as a juvenile offender under K.S.A.

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In re J.C.
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Bluebook (online)
925 P.2d 415, 260 Kan. 851, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-jc-kan-1996.