State v. Downey

27 P.3d 939, 29 Kan. App. 2d 467, 2001 Kan. App. LEXIS 660
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedJuly 20, 2001
Docket86,510
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 27 P.3d 939 (State v. Downey) 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. Downey, 27 P.3d 939, 29 Kan. App. 2d 467, 2001 Kan. App. LEXIS 660 (kanctapp 2001).

Opinion

Knudson, J.:

The State appeals from the trial court’s order granting Herbert E. Downey a new trial after his convictions of rape and two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy. The State contends the trial court did not comply with the mandate of the Court of Appeals issued in State v. Downey, 27 Kan. App. 2d 350, 2 P.3d 191, rev. denied 269 Kan. 936 (2000). Downey counters that the trial court has the inherent and statutory authority to grant a new trial and its order is not subject to interlocutory appeal by the State.

We conclude the trial court did not comply with the mandate issued in Downey and the Court of Appeals has jurisdiction to enforce compliance with its mandate. Accordingly, the trial court’s order granting a new trial is set aside, and we again remand for strict compliance with the Downey mandate.

The underlying facts of the criminal case are adequately addressed in Downey and need not be repeated in detail. One of the issues raised by Downey on direct appeal was whether the trial court erred in overruling his pretrial motions to suppress photo *468 graphs and a confession. The Court of Appeals refused to consider Ore issue because there was no contemporaneous objection lodged at trial. 27 Kan. App. 2d at 360-61. Importantly for purposes of this appeal, the Downey court tacitly considered tire defendant’s claim of manifest injustice when it observed that the State had made a pretrial agreement with Downey allowing for the preservation of the suppression issues for appeal. The court rejected this claim, stating:

“The parties, however, are precluded from devising their own rules of evidence. See 29 Am. Jur. 2d, Evidence § 8, p. 65 (‘[Pjarties cannot by contract control or modify the law of evidence, and any attempts in that direction are invalid, and not binding upon the parties or the court.’). If this court were to accept the parties’ allegation that under the terms of the stipulation Downey preserved certain issues for appeal, then our rules of evidence, specifically K.S.A. 60-404, would be meaningless. . . .
Nothing short of an objection at the time evidence is offered satisfies this requirement. See State v. Nunn, 244 Kan. 207, 213, 768 P.2d 268 (1989). Because Downey did not renew any objection to the photographs and confession when the State presented evidence of such in the stipulation, Downey has not preserved these issues for appeal.” 27 Kan. App. 2d at 361.

After considering other trial issues raised by Downey, the court affirmed his convictions for rape and two counts of sodomy. However, the court did find that an illegal sentence was imposed and remanded for resentencing. After the Supreme Court denied Downey’s petition for review, the mandate of the Court of Appeals was issued.

Upon remand, Downey filed a motion to set aside his convictions, contending he was “ uninformed, . . . defrauded, or victimized’ ” in entering his stipulations, which was “encouraged and sanctioned” by his defense counsel, the prosecution, and the trial court. He also filed a motion for sentencing departure. Downey later filed a “Second Motion to Set Aside Conviction,” contending counsel misled him into stipulations by misstating the appropriate sentencing range.

At the hearing on the motions, the trial court heard testimony from Joseph McCarville, who represented Downey at the original trial, and Judge Timothy J. Chambers, who was the Reno County prosecutor at the original trial. Following the testimony, there was a lengthy discussion between court and counsel as to whether the *469 trial court had jurisdiction to go beyond the mandate of the appellate court. The court recognized that the motions were outside the 10-day window for a new trial as provided in K.S.A. 22-3501 and inquired if Downey was suggesting review under K.S.A. 60-1507. Downey s counsel made clear no such claim was being advanced. Finally, after further rather confusing colloquy, Downey’s counsel informed the court an order arresting judgment was being sought. The trial court then sustained the motion to arrest judgment under K.S.A. 22-3502 and set aside Downey’s convictions and gave the parties a new date for jury trial. This set the stage for the State’s appeal.

Downey filed a motion with this court to dismiss the appeal, arguing the State lacks a statutory basis for the appeal. This court denied the motion to dismiss, electing to set the case on an expedited special docket. The court also granted the State’s motion to stay the jury trial pending a decision on appeal.

We have determined the controlling issues on appeal to be: (1) Does this court have jurisdiction to enforce compliance with its mandate; and (2) Did the trial court have jurisdiction to grant a new trial in derogation of the mandate?

During oral argument upon Downey’s motions there was an extended circuitous discussion between the court and counsel as to the nature of relief sought and whether the State would have the right to file an interlocutory appeal. Ultimately, at the invitation of Downey’s counsel, the trial court granted relief under K.S.A. 22-3502, as an arrest of judgment. This decision afforded the State an opportunity to file an interlocutory appeal under K.S.A. 2000 Supp. 22-3602(b)(2).

An arrest of judgment is permitted only if the complaint “does not charge a crime or if the court was without jurisdiction of the crime charged.” K.S.A. 22-3502. Additionally, such a motion must “be made within 10 days after the . . . finding of guilty, ... or within such further time as the court may fix during the 10-day period.” K.S.A. 22-3502. Clearly, the trial court erred in granting a new trial to Downey under K.S.A. 22-3502.

We next consider whether the trial court could have granted Downey relief under K.S.A. 22-3501, which reads in material part:

*470 “(1) The court on motion of a defendant may grant a new trial to him if required in the interest of justice.

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Related

State v. Soto
Supreme Court of Kansas, 2019
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
27 P.3d 939, 29 Kan. App. 2d 467, 2001 Kan. App. LEXIS 660, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-downey-kanctapp-2001.