State v. Bellinger

278 P.3d 975, 47 Kan. App. 2d 776
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedJune 22, 2012
DocketNo. 105,008
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 278 P.3d 975 (State v. Bellinger) 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. Bellinger, 278 P.3d 975, 47 Kan. App. 2d 776 (kanctapp 2012).

Opinions

Marquardt, J.:

Robert Lynn Bellinger (Robert) was convicted of aggravated assault and criminal threat. On appeal, Robert claims that the district court erred in denying his request for jury instructions on self-defense and defense of property. We affirm.

Brothers Robert and Michael Bellinger owned adjoining farms in Pottawatomie County, which they used primarily for grazing cattle. The brothers had a contentious history with each other. Prior to the incident that caused the filing of criminal charges against Robert, the brothers had a dispute because Katheryn Bellinger (Michael’s ex-wife and current business partner) burned some of Robert’s pasture. Another problem occurred when two of Robert’s bulls and a cow wandered into Michael’s pasture, and Michael put them in his catch pen.

At approximately noon on June 4, 2009, Michael, Katheryn, and their son, Matthew, drove to Robert’s farm to retrieve Katheryn’s grain truck that she had loaned to Robert. Michael testified that he did not want to talk with Robert, so he sent Matthew, who was able to get along with Robert, to find Robert to ask if they could get the truck. Michael and Katheryn waited in a truck on the public road until they were told that it was okay with Robert to get the truck. When Matthew located Robert, he asked if “we” could get the truck. Robert told Michael it was okay. According to Robert, he assumed that the “we” meant Matthew and Katheryn.

Matthew returned to Michael’s truck and the three drove to Robert’s hay shed, where the grain truck was stored. When Robert drove up to the hay shed on his tractor, he saw Michael and Katheryn sitting in their truck. Robert then proceeded to help Matthew move a piece of equipment that was blocking access to the grain truck.

[778]*778After moving the piece of equipment, Robert walked up to the driver s side window of Michael’s truck, where Michael was sitting. Up to that time, there had been no exchange of any kind that day between Robert and Michael. Robert testified that he initiated the contact with Michael when he said, “Why did you leave my cows in the catch pen?” Michael responded that Robert needed to keep his cattle out of Michael’s pasture. On cross-examination, Michael was asked:

“Q. You agree that you told Bob if his cows got in your pasture again you were going to take them to the sale barn?
“A. Yeah, that is what you’re supposed to do when your cattle or somebody else’s cattle get in your pasture. By law you’re supposed to get ahold of the Sheriff, or take them to the sale bam.”

When Robert’s cattle got into Michael’s pasture, he put them in a catch pen. Michael testified that he tried to call Robert on his cell phone to tell him about the cattle, but Robert would not take the call, so he called the sheriff.

After Robert approached Michael, both brothers testified that the argument escalated from there. Michael testified that it turned into a “yelling match” until Robert walked away, said “I’ll Mil you,” and got the rifle.

The following exchange took place when Robert was cross-examined:

“Q. Now, when you approached Mike — Let’s go back to June 4th, and you know he’s mad and you come up to the truck and you’re talking to him about the cows. What did you think was going to happen when you guys started in and about the cows?
“A. I thought they would tell me why he did that.
“Q. Was there anything in your history that would lead you to believe that he would do that calmly?
“A. Well, no, but I hoped he would.
"Q. Okay. That’s — but — okay.
“And then you go up to him and you — I think you tell me that the whole time you two are talking, he’s yelling and cussing and you’re talking with him calmly like you are now?
“A. He’s not yelling to be yelling, he’s belligerent and he was not yelling like standing up and screaming across the city street, but he’s got a strong loud voice that he was using and it was similar to being belligerent.
“Q. And you would agree your brother does have a pretty booming voice; right?
[779]*779“A. Yes.
“Q. And that’s on a normal level?
"A. No. No. When he talks to people he’s more quiet.
“Q. Okay. So tiren you’re saying right now when you guys are discussing the cows, about taking them to the sale bam, shooting them, stabbing them, he was belligerent or not angry?
“A. He raised his voice tiren but he was angry. He wasn’t mad. He was just angiy.
“Q. Okay. But at some point you say — Okay.
“You testified on direct that he was so angry he was getting angrier, he’s yelling at you, he says, Til shoot the cows’, and he says, ‘Go get your gun,’ and you felt that he was going to come out of that truck and all of a sudden you felt your personal safety was in jeopardy; isn’t that what you testified to on direct; right?
“A. Yes.
“Q. Okay. But now you’re saying, well, he wasn’t mad, he was belligerent?
“A. As we were discussing tire food [sic] of discussion he heated on up and at the end of the discussion he was ready to kill me. You could see that he had his jaw set and he was ready to come get me.
“Q. And yet he never got out of the track; did he?
‘‘A. I went and got —
“Q. Did he get out of the truck, Mr. Bellinger?
“A. No, sir. No, Ma’am.
“Q. In fact, you were able to turn away from him, walk over to this other truck — because you can’t run apparently, so you walked over to the other truck and you had to pry the gun out, according to your testimony, and he never got out of the track; did he?
“A. Because I left the truck. If I had stood there —
“Q. Did he get out of the truck?
“A. No.”

Robert testified that he threatened to shoot or ldll Michael, to which Michael responded, “Go ahead.” Robert also testified that Michael told him, “Go get your gun.”

Robert testified that Michael was belligerent, and he believed that Michael was “ready to come out of that cab and beat the hell out of [him].” Robert also testified that he thought that Michael might set his hay shed on fire, but there is no evidence to support this assertion. While Michael sat in the truck, Robert walked away and got the .22 caliber rifle that was on the floor of another truck parked nearby.

Robert came back to the truck where Michael remained, put the rifle within 26 to 28 inches from Michael’s head, and ordered Mi[780]*780chael to leave his property. Although Robert testified that he did not believe the rifle was loaded, he moved it slightly, in case he was wrong, then pulled the trigger. Robert testified that he wanted to scare Michael. The rifle fired. Miraculously, the bullet missed both Michael and Katheryn but shattered the back window of the truck cab.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
278 P.3d 975, 47 Kan. App. 2d 776, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bellinger-kanctapp-2012.