Jason Michael Kyle Selig v. Robert Russell, Prosecutor, Johnson County Circuit Court, Scott Munsterman, Sheriff, Johnson County Sheriff's Department

CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 21, 2020
DocketWD82804
StatusPublished

This text of Jason Michael Kyle Selig v. Robert Russell, Prosecutor, Johnson County Circuit Court, Scott Munsterman, Sheriff, Johnson County Sheriff's Department (Jason Michael Kyle Selig v. Robert Russell, Prosecutor, Johnson County Circuit Court, Scott Munsterman, Sheriff, Johnson County Sheriff's Department) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jason Michael Kyle Selig v. Robert Russell, Prosecutor, Johnson County Circuit Court, Scott Munsterman, Sheriff, Johnson County Sheriff's Department, (Mo. Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

In the Missouri Court of Appeals Western District JASON MICHAEL KYLE SELIG, ) ) Respondent, ) WD82804 ) v. ) OPINION FILED: April 21, 2020 ) ROBERT RUSSELL, PROSECUTOR, ) JOHNSON COUNTY CIRCUIT ) COURT, SCOTT MUNSTERMAN, ) SHERIFF, JOHNSON COUNTY ) SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, ) ) Appellants. )

Appeal from the Circuit Court of Johnson County, Missouri The Honorable R. Michael Wagner, Judge

Before Division Two: Cynthia L. Martin, Presiding Judge, Thomas H. Newton, Judge and Gary D. Witt, Judge

Jason Selig ("Selig") filed a Petition for Exemption from Sex Offender Registry in

the Circuit Court of Johnson County, naming Johnson County Prosecutor, Robert Russell,

Johnson County Sherriff, Scott Munsterman, and Missouri State Highway Patrol, Director

of the Patrol Records Division, Captain Kyle Marquart,1 as respondents (collectively the

1 Captain Marquart retired from the Highway Patrol effective January 1, 2019. He was a party to this action solely in his former official capacity. "State") seeking a declaratory judgment that he was exempt from registration as a sex

offender under both the state and federal sex offender registries. The circuit court granted

Selig's petition and the State appeals. The State contends that the circuit court erred in

granting Selig's petition because (1) the court failed to consider Selig's independent

requirement to register because of his federal registration obligations; (2) registering is a

prerequisite to obtaining an exemption; and (3) there was no hearing to determine whether

Selig was required to federally register.2 Selig counters these arguments but also contends

that the Rule of Lenity applies to negate any registration requirements. We reverse, in part,

and remand for further proceedings.

Factual and Procedural Background

Selig entered a plea of guilty to the offense of furnishing or attempting to furnish

pornographic material to a minor in violation of section 573.040 on February 27, 2019.3

The facts giving rise to the charges were that he sent photographs of his erect penis to

multiple fellow high school students via Snapchat. Following his conviction, on March 1,

2019, Selig filed a Petition for Exemption from Sex Offender Registry ("Petition") seeking

a declaratory judgment that he was exempt from registration as a sex offender under both

the state and federal sex offender registries. Section 589.400 imposes Missouri's

registration requirements on certain offenders convicted of sexual offenses. Selig asserts

2 The State raises these three arguments in a single point relied on. It is multifarious in that it presents three distinct claims of error that should be in separate points relied on. See State v. Robinson, 454 S.W.3d 428, 437 n. 6 (Mo. App. W.D. 2015). In general, multifarious points preserve nothing for appellate review and are subject to dismissal. However, because we prefer to decide cases on the merits where appellant's argument is readily understandable--as is the case here--we have elected to exercise our discretion to review the merits of the arguments set forth in the point relied on. 3 All statutory references are to RSMo 2016 as currently updated, unless otherwise noted.

2 that pursuant to section 589.400.9(2)(c) he was exempt from registering under the Missouri

Sex Offender Registry.

The State responded that although Selig may have been exempt pursuant to section

589.400.9(2)(c), he was still required to register pursuant to section 589.400.1(7) 4 which

incorporates federal registration requirements into Missouri's registration requirements.

Further, the State argued that despite being titled an "exemption" Missouri law requires

even those deemed to be exempt to first register and then seek removal from the registration

requirements. Because Selig has not registered, the State contends that he may not be

granted an exemption. The State filed a Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim

asserting the same grounds ("Motion"). The circuit court held a hearing on the Petition and

Motion on May 6, 2019 ("Hearing"). At the Hearing, Selig initially requested the court

make two findings: (1) that Selig's conviction did not fall within the federal Sex Offender

Registration and Notification Act ("SORNA")5 and (2) that Selig was exempt under

4 The statute at issue is alternatively referred to both as 589.400.1(6) and 589.400.1(7) by the parties. Section 589.400.1(2) was both amended and removed, effective August 28, 2018. When published, the Revised Statutes included the amended subsection. Selig contends that subsection 589.400.1(2) should have been removed and the following subsections renumbered, resulting in subsection 589.400.1(7) becoming subsection (6). There is no dispute as to the language of this subsection, only as to its application to these facts. For clarity, the subsection at issue states:

1. Section 589.400 to 589.425 shall apply to:

****

(7) Any person who is a resident of this state who has, since July 1, 1979, been or is hereafter adjudicated in any other state territory, the District of Columbia, or foreign country, or under federal, tribal, or military jurisdiction for an offense which, if committed in this state, would constitute an offense listed under section 589.414, or has been or is required to register in another state, territory, the District of Columbia, or foreign country, or has been or is required to register under tribal, federal, or military law; or

For constancy, we will refer to is as section 589.400.1(7), as it appears in the printed Missouri Revised Statutes. 5 34 USC §§ 20901-20920.

3 Missouri's Sex Offender Registration Act ("MO-SORA").6 During the course of the

Hearing, however, Selig withdrew his request for a finding regarding his federal SORNA

obligations, instead asking solely for a determination under the state MO-SORA, arguing

that section 589.400.9(2)(c) exempted him from all registration requirements. The State

argued that Selig's obligations under MO-SORA could not be determined without first

determining his SORNA obligations. At the Hearing, the State contended that the circuit

court needed to hold an additional hearing at which the parties could submit evidence

regarding whether Selig was required to register under the provisions of SORNA. The

State reiterated this argument following Selig's withdrawal of his request for a SORNA

determination arguing that Selig was still subject to registration due to his federal

obligations.7

The court entered judgment on May 9, 2019 ("Judgment"). The Judgment stated

that: "The State's Motion to Dismiss is denied. Pursuant to §589.400.9(2)(c) RSMo.,

petitioner is exempt from the sex offender registration requirements generally set forth in

§589.400 RSMo." The Judgment made no findings as to Selig's federal SORNA

obligations.

This appeal followed.

Standard of Review

This Court will uphold the judgment of the trial court unless "it is not supported by

substantial evidence, is against the weight of the evidence, or erroneously declares or

6 Sections 589.400 to 589.425. 7 In the transcript the State referenced "subparagraph 8" but it clear from his argument his intent was to reference subsection (7).

4 applies the law." Doe v. Isom, 429 S.W.3d 436, 439 (Mo. App. E.D. 2014) (citing Murphy

v.

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Jason Michael Kyle Selig v. Robert Russell, Prosecutor, Johnson County Circuit Court, Scott Munsterman, Sheriff, Johnson County Sheriff's Department, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jason-michael-kyle-selig-v-robert-russell-prosecutor-johnson-county-moctapp-2020.