State v. Conley

197 P.3d 837, 287 Kan. 696, 2008 Kan. LEXIS 741
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedDecember 19, 2008
Docket99,279
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 197 P.3d 837 (State v. Conley) 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
State v. Conley, 197 P.3d 837, 287 Kan. 696, 2008 Kan. LEXIS 741 (kan 2008).

Opinion

197 P.3d 837 (2008)

STATE of Kansas, Appellee,
v.
Anthony D. CONLEY, Appellant.

No. 99,279.

Supreme Court of Kansas.

December 19, 2008.

*838 Carl Maughan, of Maughan & Maughan LC, of Wichita, argued the cause and was on the brief for appellant, and Anthony Dean Conley, appellant, was on a supplemental pro se brief.

Kristi L. Barton, assistant county attorney, argued the cause, and Nola Tedesco Foulston, district attorney, and Stephen N. Six, attorney general, were with her on the briefs for appellee.

The opinion of the court was delivered by McFARLAND, C. J.:

Anthony Conley appeals the summary denial of his pro se motion to correct illegal sentence filed pursuant to K.S.A. 22-3504(1). Because Conley is serving a hard 40 life sentence on a conviction of premeditated first-degree murder, this court has jurisdiction of this appeal under K.S.A. 22-3601(b)(1). See State v. Thomas, 239 Kan. 457, Syl. ¶ 2, 720 P.2d 1059 (1986) (jurisdiction over an appeal of a motion to correct illegal sentence lies with the court that had jurisdiction to hear the original appeal).

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

In 1998, Conley was convicted by a jury of the 1995 premeditated first-degree murder of Nicholas Armstrong. He was sentenced to a hard 40 life sentence. Conley filed a direct appeal in which he argued, among other things, that the hard 40 sentencing scheme was unconstitutional under Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000), because it enhanced his sentence on the basis of facts that were not presented to the jury and proved beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Conley, 270 Kan. 18, 30-35, 11 P.3d 1147 (2000), cert. denied 532 U.S. 932, 121 S.Ct. 1383, 149 L.Ed.2d 308 (2001). We rejected Conley's challenge, holding:

"Imposition of the K.S.A. 21-4638 hard 40 sentence based on a fact not found by the jury does not increase a defendant's maximum sentence of imprisonment for life imposed under K.S.A. 21-4706(c). The hard 40 sentence limits the lower end of the sentence. Defendant's hard 40 sentence violates neither the Due Process Clause of the United States Constitution, nor his right to trial by jury under the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution or § 5 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights." 270 Kan. 18, Syl. ¶ 3, 11 P.3d 1147.

Conley's present appeal arises from the denial of his pro se motion to correct illegal sentence. In his motion, Conley challenged the legality of his hard 40 sentence under Apprendi. Specifically, Conley argued that a hard 40 sentence cannot be imposed based upon facts not charged in the complaint and found by a jury beyond a reasonable doubt because such a sentence exceeds the statutory maximum for first-degree murder.

The district court summarily denied the motion on the ground the Apprendi issue had been decided adversely to Conley by this court in his direct appeal. Conley appeals therefrom. He does not contend the district court erred in its conclusion that the Apprendi issue which is the issue in the motion herein is the same issue raised in the direct appeal. Rather, Conley argues that the district *839 court erred and/or abused its discretion in summarily denying the motion because: (1) res judicata is inapplicable to motions to correct illegal sentence; and (2) summary disposition is an inappropriate procedure for handling motions to correct illegal sentence.

APPLICABLE STATUTE

The motion to correct sentence herein was filed pursuant to K.S.A. 22-3504(1) which provides:

"(1) The court may correct an illegal sentence at any time. The defendant shall receive full credit for time spent in custody under the sentence prior to correction. The defendant shall have a right to a hearing, after reasonable notice to be fixed by the court, to be personally present and to have the assistance of counsel in any proceeding for the correction of an illegal sentence."

APPLICABILITY OF RES JUDICATA

Conley argues that the doctrine of res judicata does not apply to K.S.A. 22-3504 motions. He contends that because the language of K.S.A. 22-3504(1) specifically states that the court may correct an illegal sentence "at any time," his claim is not procedurally barred, regardless of whether the issue has been previously raised and decided. He contends that by using such language in the illegal sentence statute, the legislature intended to allow a defendant to be freed from an illegal sentence despite "previous erroneous rulings."

In State v. Neer, 247 Kan. 137, Syl. ¶ 2, 795 P.2d 362 (1990), we held:

"Under Kansas law, where an appeal is taken from the sentence imposed and/or a conviction, the judgment of the reviewing court is res judicata as to all issues actually raised, and those issues that could have been presented, but were not presented, are deemed waived."

In State v. Johnson, 269 Kan. 594, 602, 7 P.3d 294 (2000), we held that K.S.A. 22-3504 "may not be used as a vehicle to breathe new life into appellate issues previously abandoned or adversely determined."

Statutory time restrictions apply to the filing of direct appeals in criminal actions and K.S.A. 60-1507 motions. In the limited situations in which K.S.A. 22-3504 relief may be sought, there is no time restriction-hence the statutory "at any time" language. This is not authorization for "do-overs." Under Conley's argument herein, the same issue could be endlessly raised despite adverse appellate determinations.

Res judicata applies to motions to correct illegal sentence filed pursuant to K.S.A. 22-3504. Such a motion may not be used to breathe new life into an appellate issue previously adversely determined.

Conley also argues that res judicata should not bar his claim because recent United States Supreme Court decisions have modified the rule in Apprendi, rendering this court's decision in Conley erroneous. He contends that fundamental fairness justifies permitting this issue to be considered again. See State v. Hawkins,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
197 P.3d 837, 287 Kan. 696, 2008 Kan. LEXIS 741, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-conley-kan-2008.