State v. Curtis

209 P.3d 753, 42 Kan. App. 2d 132, 2009 Kan. App. LEXIS 646
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedJune 19, 2009
Docket99,474
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 209 P.3d 753 (State v. Curtis) 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. Curtis, 209 P.3d 753, 42 Kan. App. 2d 132, 2009 Kan. App. LEXIS 646 (kanctapp 2009).

Opinion

STANDRIDGE, J.:

Michael Curtis appeals -the district court’s revocation of his probation. For the reasons stated below, we reverse the probation revocation and vacate the court’s order requiring Curtis to serve -the underlying sentence.

Chronology

1. On November 18, 2005, based on Curtis’ plea of guilty to one count of cocaine possession, the district court sentenced Curtis to 12 months’ standard probation with an underlying 40-month prison term.

2. On January 5, 2006, Curtis possessed cocaine.

3. On January 10, 2006, the State filed its first motion to revoke based on the January 5, 2006, alleged cocaine possession.

4. On January 30, 2006, the court dismissed the probation revocation proceeding “upon request of the State.”

*134 5. On January 31, 2006, Curtis admitted to consumption of alcohol.

6. On February 22, 2006, the State filed its second motion to revoke based on the January 5, 2006, alleged cocaine possession.

7. On August 16, 2006, the State moved to schedule a probation revocation hearing.

8. On August 29, 2006, the court dismissed the probation revocation proceeding “upon request of the State.”

9. On September 20, 2006, the State filed its third motion to revoke based on the January 5, 2006, alleged cocaine possession.

10. On November 18, 2006, Curtis’ 12-month probation term expired.

11. On January 19, 2007, Curtis was arrested for driving under the influence, driving while suspended, and fleeing and eluding.

12. On January 22, 2007, the State filed its fourth motion to revoke based on the January 5, 2006, alleged cocaine possession.

13. On January 29, 2007, the State filed its first amended fourth motion to revoke based on the January 5, 2006, alleged cocaine possession, as well as the January 19, 2007, alleged illegal driving activities.

14. On February 9, 2007, the court issued notice of a March 8, 2007, evidentiary hearing regarding probation revocation.

15. On February 19, 2007, Curtis tested positive for alcohol consumption.

16. On February 21, 2007, the State filed its second amended fourth motion to revoke based on the January 5, 2006, alleged cocaine possession, the January 31, 2006, admission to alcohol consumption, the January 19, 2007, alleged illegal drinking and driving activities, and the February 19, 2007, test indicating alcohol consumption.

17. On March 12, 2007, the court continued the probation revocation hearing from March 8, 2007, to March 21, 2007.

18. On March 21, 2007, the court continued the probation revocation hearing at the State’s request to “a date after March 24, 2007, in order to allow the State to present its witnesses.”

19. On October 1, 2007, the court found Curtis violated his probation by unlawfully possessing cocaine on January 5, 2006, by *135 engaging in unlawful activities on Januaiy 19, 2007, and by admitting to alcohol consumption on Januaiy 31, 2006, Januaiy 18,2007, and February 19, 2007. As a result, the court revoked Curtis’ probation and ordered him to be sent to the Labette Correctional Conservation Camp but indicated that if Curtis failed to pass the physical test there, the court would require him to serve the underlying 40-month prison term.

Analysis

Curtis appeals the district court’s decision to revoke his probation on grounds that the court lacked jurisdiction and that the court erroneously relied on alleged illegal activity other than the January 5, 2006, conduct to support its decision. Because we conclude the district court did not have jurisdiction to revoke Curtis’ probation in the first instance, we find it unnecessary to consider whether the court erred in relying on alleged illegal activity other than the Januaiy 5, 2006, conduct to support its decision.

A district court’s determination regarding jurisdiction over a probation proceeding is reviewed de novo. State v. Williams, 20 Kan. App. 2d 142, 145, 884 P.2d 743 (1994).

In support of his claim that the district court was without jurisdiction to revoke his probation, Curtis asserts (1) the State failed to timely initiate revocation proceedings within his probationary term, and (2) even if timely initiated, the State failed to act in a timely and reasonable manner to revoke his probation, which violated his rights under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

1. Timely Initiation of Revocation Proceedings

A district court has jurisdiction to revoke probation as long as the proceedings are initiated within 30 days after the probationary term expires. K.S.A. 22-3716(d). Filing a motion to revoke probation is sufficient to institute a probation proceeding. Williams, 20 Kan. App. 2d at 147.

Here, Curtis’ probation expired on November 18, 2006. The State filed motions to revoke Curtis’ probation on (1) January 10, 2006; (2) February 22, 2006; (3) September 20, 2006; and (4) Jan *136 uary 22, 2007. The first two motions were dismissed by the court at the State’s request. No action was ever taken with regard to the September 20, 2006, motion, and it remained pending even after an identical January 22, 2007, motion to revoke was filed.

Curtis asserts that by filing a January 22,2007, motion to revoke that was identical to the pending September 20, 2006, motion, the State effectively abandoned the first pleading. As a result, Curtis maintains that the only valid motion was the motion to revoke filed on January 22, 2007, which was more than 30 days after the probation period had expired. Based on the circumstances as alleged, Curtis argues the State failed to timely initiate revocation proceedings within his probationary term, leaving the district court with no jurisdiction to revoke his probation. We disagree.

As a preliminary matter, Curtis fails to cite, and we could not find, any support for the legal proposition that by filing a second motion, which is identical to a first motion, the first motion is deemed abandoned. In addition, there simply is no evidence here that the September 20, 2006, motion — which was filed before Curtis’ probation had expired — was abandoned, vacated, withdrawn, or ruled upon. The mere fact that an identical motion to revoke was filed outside Curtis’ probationary term does not work to extinguish the pending proceedings initiated by the earlier motion. For these reasons, we find the revocation proceedings were initiated in a timely manner.

2. Due Process

Although K.S.A. 22-3716

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
209 P.3d 753, 42 Kan. App. 2d 132, 2009 Kan. App. LEXIS 646, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-curtis-kanctapp-2009.