State v. Beard

924 P.2d 1268, 22 Kan. App. 2d 877, 1996 Kan. App. LEXIS 114
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedOctober 4, 1996
DocketNo. 73,056
StatusPublished

This text of 924 P.2d 1268 (State v. Beard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Beard, 924 P.2d 1268, 22 Kan. App. 2d 877, 1996 Kan. App. LEXIS 114 (kanctapp 1996).

Opinion

Lewis, J.;

Defendant was convicted of possession of cocaine after a previous conviction for the same crime. It was further determined that defendant’s criminal history score was “B” and that his presumptive Kansas Sentencing Guidelines Act (KSGA) sentence was incarceration for a period of between 68 and 77 months. The trial court granted a downward durational departure and sentenced him to prison for a term of 65 months. Defendant appeals both his conviction and his sentence.

Defendant’s problems began when he was arrested on an outstanding warrant for an unrelated charge. Following that arrest, defendant was taken to jail, where he was strip searched prior to being placed in confinement. During the process of the strip search, the officer conducting the search asked defendant to unroll the cuff of his pants leg. When defendant did so, a small rock of cocaine fell from the cuff onto the floor. The cocaine was recovered by the police officer and forms the basis for the conviction now being considered.

[878]*878The facts recited above constitute the testimony of Officer Keith Tate of the Wichita Police Department. There was, however, another story.

Defendant denies there was any cocaine on his person or in his pants cuff. He alleges that the cocaine found must have been planted by the police officers.

SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE

Defendant first argues that his conviction is not supported by the evidence. Our standard of review is well established:

“When the sufficiency of the evidence is challenged in a criminal case, the standard of review is whether, after review of all the evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, the appellate court is convinced that a rational factfinder could have found the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” State v. Knighten, 260 Kan. 47, Syl. ¶ 1, 917 P.2d 1324 (1996).

The evidence as to whether defendant was or was not in possession of cocaine is conflicting. There were two scenarios painted, one by Officer Tate and one by defendant, and those are described above. The jury chose to believe the testimony of Officer Tate to the effect that cocaine fell from defendant’s pants cuff during his pre-jail search.

Defendant argues that Officer Tate’s testimony is unreliable, that we should not believe it, and that we should reverse his conviction on that basis. Unfortunately for defendant, this is an argument more properly made to a jury than to an appellate court. “When a verdict is challenged for insufficiency of evidence or as being contrary to the evidence, it is not the function of this court to weigh the evidence or pass on the credibility of the witnesses.” State v. Dunn, 249 Kan. 488, 491, 820 P.2d 412 (1991).

We have carefully reviewed the record in this case in the light of our standard of review, and we hold that defendant’s conviction is supported by the evidence to the degree required by law.

MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL

Defendant argues that the trial court erred in denying his motion for a new trial on the grounds of newly discovered evidence.

The evidence at trial indicated that during the strip search of defendant, there was another detention officer present. Officer [879]*879Tate testified that he did not know the name of that officer and did not know the whereabouts of that officer. The mystery officer was not called to testify at the trial.

After trial, defendant filed a motion for a new trial, alleging he had identified and located the mystery detention officer and that he should be entitled to a new trial for that reason. Defendant did not, however, provide any information on who the officer was, what he or she might testify to, why he or she was not located at the ■ time of trial, and why the mere location of the officer would change the results of the trial.

The relevant portion of K.S.A. 22-3501(1) provides: “The court on motion of' a defendant may grant a new trial to him if required in the interest of justice.” Our standard of review is set out in State v. Thomas, 257 Kan. 228, Syl. ¶ 3, 891 P.2d 417 (1995), as follows:

“The appellate standard for reviewing a trial court’s order under K.S.A. 22-3501(1) on a motion for new trial based on newly discovered evidence is abuse of discretion, regardless of whether a full hearing with live testimony is held. Under the' abuse of discretion standard, if a reasonable person could agree with the trial court’s decision it will not be disturbed on appeal.”

In addition, “[n]ew trials on grounds of newly discovered evidence are not favored, and such motions are to be viewed with caution.” 257 Kan. 228, Syl. ¶ 2.

Defendant had the burden of proving why he should be given a new trial. He was required to show that he had obtained new, credible, and convincing evidence which, if introduced, would raise a reasonable probability of a different outcome upon retrial. Defendant proved nothing more than that he had located the missing police officer. This was not sufficient to sustain his burden of proof, particularly in the absence of any indication that the mere location of that officer could raise a reasonable probability of a different outcome.

We hold that defendant failed to meet his required burden of proof and that the trial court did not err in denying his motion for a new trial;

CONSTITUTIONALITY OF K.S.A. 21-4711(a)

Defendant’s criminal history was found to be “B” because of [880]*880three prior person misdemeanors, which are scored under the KSGA as one person felony for criminal history purposes. K.S.A. 21-4711(a) provides: “Every three prior adult convictions or juvenile adjudications of class A and class B person misdemeanors in the offender’s criminal history, or any combination thereof, shall be rated as one adult conviction or one juvenile adjudication of a person felony for criminal history purposes.”

In the absence of the additional felony conviction brought about by the three prior misdemeanor convictions, defendant’s criminal history would have been something other than “B” and his sentence may have been somewhat less than the sentence imposed.

Defendant attacks the constitutionality of K.S.A. 21-4711(a). He argues it is unconstitutional in that it violates his due process rights and the prohibition against ex post facto laws.

We disagree.

A constitutional challenge to a statute involves a question of law over which this court has unlimited review. See State v. Ponce, 258 Kan. 708, 709, 907 P.2d 876 (1995).

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Related

City of Ottawa v. Lester
822 P.2d 72 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 1991)
State v. Knighten
917 P.2d 1324 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1996)
State v. Ponce
907 P.2d 876 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1995)
State v. Jones
521 P.2d 278 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1974)
State v. Dunn
820 P.2d 412 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1991)
State v. Campbell
681 P.2d 679 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 1984)
State v. LaMunyon
911 P.2d 151 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1996)
State v. Thomas
891 P.2d 417 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1995)

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Bluebook (online)
924 P.2d 1268, 22 Kan. App. 2d 877, 1996 Kan. App. LEXIS 114, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-beard-kanctapp-1996.