State v. Bryant

922 P.2d 1118, 22 Kan. App. 2d 732, 1996 Kan. App. LEXIS 99
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedAugust 9, 1996
Docket72,820
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 922 P.2d 1118 (State v. Bryant) 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. Bryant, 922 P.2d 1118, 22 Kan. App. 2d 732, 1996 Kan. App. LEXIS 99 (kanctapp 1996).

Opinion

Hill, J.:

Stacey E. Bryant appeals his convictions of attempted aggravated robbery and felony theft, but not his burglary conviction. At his trial, Bryant admitted committing burglary and theft and apologized to the jury for his actions, but now feels he was wrongfully convicted of attempted aggravated robbery and felony theft.

On November 8, 1993, the Wichita police received a phone call reporting a home burglary in progress. The caller identified two male suspects as leaving the scene in a late model blue Cadillac automobile. Two officers responded to the call and pulled over a car matching that description. Bryant, who was sitting in the passenger seat of the Cadillac, jumped out of the car and ran from the officers. One of the officers chased Bryant but lost him. Another officer then continued the chase and pursued Bryant.

While Bryant and the police officer were running down the street, a van slowed so it would not hit them. Bryant ran to the driver s side of the van, opened the door, and appeared to attempt to pull the driver out. The officer could see Bryant pull his body up halfway into the van as if he were trying to crawl onto the driver s lap. Bryant grabbed at the driver’s hand, arm, and chest. The van accelerated with Bryant hanging out the open driver’s door. The van veered and swerved and eventually came to rest sideways in the street. Bryant got out.

The police officer, still pursuing Bryant, saw him walk over to a car that was stopped at a stop sign. Bryant appeared to try to open the door but was unable to do so. Bryant walked away and was eventually placed under arrest by the officer.

The jury convicted Bryant of burglary, theft, and attempted aggravated robbery of the van driver. Bryant was sentenced to 51 months for attempted aggravated robbery, 21 months for burglaiy, and 10 months for felony theft. The burglary and theft sentences *734 are to be served concurrent with each other but consecutive to the attempted aggravated robbery sentence.

On appeal, Bryant argues that there was insufficient evidence to sustain a conviction for attempted aggravated robbery, that the trial court erred when it failed to give the jury the definition of bodily harm, and that the trial court should have instructed the jury on the lesser included offense of misdemeanor theft. After oral argument, the issue of an illegal sentence was brought forward by Bryant. We will deal with the issues in order.

Bryant argues that the evidence was insufficient in two areas. First, he argues that the driver of the van did not suffer sufficient bodily harm to sustain a conviction for attempted aggravated robbery and, second, that he did not touch the driver with unnecessary force.

“If the sufficiency of 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 fact-finder could have found the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” State v. Timley, 255 Kan. 286, Syl. ¶ 13, 875 P.2d 242 (1994).

In examining the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution, we determine that there was sufficient evidence presented that would convince a rational factfinder beyond a reasonable doubt that Bryant was guilty of attempted aggravated robbery. Robbery, pursuant to K.S.A. 1993 Supp. 21-3426, is the taking of property from the victim by force or threat of bodily harm. Aggravated robbery is robbery committed by a robber who is armed with a dangerous weapon or inflicts bodily harm upon his victim during the course of the robbery. K.S.A. 1993 Supp. 21-3427. Bryant was not armed with a deadly weapon in this case, so we must concentrate upon the question of bodily harm.

No cases dealing with the aggravated robbery statute have defined bodily harm. Bodily harm definitions used in aggravated kidnapping cases are appropriate for use here. A “note on use” in the PIK instruction for aggravated kidnapping, PIK Grim. 3d 56.25, states:

“ ‘Bodily harm’ includes any act of physical violence even though no permanent injury results. Trivial or insignificant bruises or impressions resulting from the act *735 itself should not be considered as ‘bodily harm.’ Unnecessary acts of violence upon the victim, and those occurring after the initial abduction would constitute ‘bodily harm.’ State v. Sanders, 225 Kan. 156, 587 P.2d 906 (1978).”

In State v. Taylor, 217 Kan. 706, 714, 538 P.2d 1375 (1975), the court noted that the legislature created the difference between aggravated kidnapping and kidnapping in order to deter unnecessary acts of violence upon victims. The court recognized that some trivial injuries were likely to result from the very act of kidnapping. They ruled, however, that “insignificant bruises or impressions resulting from the act itself are not what the legislature had in mind when it made ‘bodily harm’ the factor which subjects one kidnapper to a more severe penalty than another.” 217 Kan. at 714. Later, the court in State v. Mason, 250 Kan. 393, 827 P.2d 748 (1992), refused to narrow the definition of bodily harm by including the term “substantial.” In that case, the trial court defined bodily harm as “ ‘any touching of the victim against the victim’s will, with physical force, in an intentional, hostile and aggravated manner, or the projecting of such force against the victim by the kidnapper.’ ” (Emphasis added.) 250 Kan. at 396. The defendant in Mason wanted to narrow the definition of bodily harm to exclude trivial injuries and include the term “substantial,” but the court refused. 250 Kan. at 397-98.

Similar principles should apply to aggravated robbery and robbery cases. Some trivial injuries can happen in the course of a robbery, but bodily harm fhat leaves permanent scarring or unnecessary acts of violence committed upon a victim transforms the robbery into aggravated robbery.

Bryant, argues that the driver’s injuries were insignificant and did not result from any intentional violence that he applied against the driver. The evidence revealed that Bryant tried to pull the driver from the van. As a result of this intentional, hostile act, the driver’s knuckles were cut. The cut was bleeding and required attention by emergency medical personnel. There is some permanent scarring on the driver’s hands.

The injuries in this case are similar to the injuries suffered in Mason. In that instance, an 89-year-old victim was dragged upon the floor of her home, the examining physician described the vie *736

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Related

State v. Scheuerman
486 P.3d 676 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2021)
State v. Daniels
91 P.3d 1147 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2004)
State v. Thomas
953 P.2d 1043 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
922 P.2d 1118, 22 Kan. App. 2d 732, 1996 Kan. App. LEXIS 99, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bryant-kanctapp-1996.