State v. Gomez

143 P.3d 92, 36 Kan. App. 2d 664, 2006 Kan. App. LEXIS 979
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedSeptember 29, 2006
DocketNo. 93,591
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 143 P.3d 92 (State v. Gomez) 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. Gomez, 143 P.3d 92, 36 Kan. App. 2d 664, 2006 Kan. App. LEXIS 979 (kanctapp 2006).

Opinion

Buser, J.:

Aaron G. Gomez appeals his convictions for two counts of aggravated assault in violation of K.S.A. 21-3410(a), and two counts of criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle in violation of K.S.A. 21-4219(b). We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand for resentencing.

Factual and Procedural Background

In the early morning hours of August 10, 2003, Gomez drove Jose Gauna to a prearranged fight with Justin Kutilek at a parking lot in Wichita, Kansas. Kutilek was seeing Gauna’s ex-girlfriend, Julie Swiler. Kutilek drove to the fight with Swiler as a passenger, while Kutilek’s roommate, Josh Morrison, arrived separately.

Swiler remained in the vehicle while Kutilek confronted Gauna. At some point during the altercation, Gomez drew a handgun, pointed it at Kutilek, and began running towards him. Kutilek, in fear of being shot, ran to his vehicle.

As Kutilek drove away, Gomez fired seven shots, striking the vehicle several times. A bullet grazed Kutilek’s scalp, causing a wound which necessitated his hospitalization. Swiler was not struck, but she felt a bullet pass below her legs and heard another one strike the dash.

Gomez then approached Morrison, pointed the pistol at his face, and asked him if he wanted “any shit.” Morrison, fearing he could be shot, backed up and said he did not “want any of this.” Gomez returned to his own vehicle, and Morrison called the police.

On August 13, 2003, Gomez was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, in violation of K.S.A. 21-3410(a), and two counts of criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle in violation of K.S.A. 21-4219(b). One count of aggravated assault alleged Gomez had placed Kutilek in reasonable apprehension of [667]*667immediate bodily harm with a deadly weapon, and the other count made the identical allegation with respect to Morrison. One count of criminal discharge of a firearm alleged Gomez had discharged a firearm at a motor vehicle “occupied at the time by a human being, to wit: Justin E. Kutilek, upon whom great bodily harm was thereby inflicted,” and the other count alleged Gomez had discharged a firearm at a motor vehicle “occupied at the time by a human being, to-wit: Julie A. Swiler.”

Following a trial, the jury returned guilty verdicts on both aggravated assault counts, a lesser-included criminal discharge of a firearm count based on Kutilek suffering bodily harm (not great bodily harm as the State had charged), and the criminal discharge of a firearm count related to Swiler. Gomez appeals.

Multiplicity of the Criminal Discharge of a Firearm At an Occupied Vehicle Convictions

Gomez contends the two criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle convictions are multiplicitous in violation of the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and K.S.A. 21-3107(2). Gomez maintains K.S.A. 21-4219(b) proscribes “the act of discharging a firearm at a motor vehicle in which there is a human being. The fact that the vehicle is occupied by more than one person is immaterial.” The State responds by contending a separate crime is chargeable under K.S.A. 21-4219(b) for each person who occupies the vehicle:

“[Gomez’] reliance on multiplicity is misplaced. He was not charged with crimes under more than one statute arising from a single transaction. He was charged with one crime, criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle, in multiple counts, because two separate people occupied the same vehicle. Different counts were specifically warranted in the instant case where the offense involving [Kutilek] resulted in bodily harm. [Gomez] cannot escape responsibility for his actions simply by arguing more than one individual was placed in danger as the result of the same criminal conduct.”

Gomez did not raise the multiplicity issue below, but our appellate courts will consider multiplicity for the first time on appeal to serve the ends of justice or prevent denial of fundamental rights. State v. Dubish, 234 Kan. 708, 718, 675 P.2d 877 (1984); State v. [668]*668Hankerson, 34 Kan. App. 2d 629, 632, 122 P.3d 408 (2005); State v. Taylor, 25 Kan. App. 2d 407, 409-10, 965 P.2d 834, rev. denied 266 Kan. 1115 (1998); State v. Thomas, 24 Kan. App. 2d 734, 737, 953 P.2d 1043 (1998). “The fundamental right of a defendant to a fair trial under the 5th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution of tire United States would be violated by a multiplicitous conviction.” Dubish, 234 Kan. at 718. Finally, “the issue of whether convictions are multiplicitous is a question of law subject to unlimited review. [Citations omitted.]” State v. Schoonover, 281 Kan. 453, 461, 133 P.3d 48 (2006).

We begin our analysis by reviewing the statutory language and legislative histoxy regarding the criminal discharge of a firearm statute. K.S.A. 2005 Supp. 21-4219 provides:

“(a) Criminal discharge of a firearm at an unoccupied dwelling is the malicious, intentional and unauthorized discharge of any firearm at an unoccupied building.
“Criminal discharge of a firearm at an unoccupied dwelling is a severity level 8, person felony.
“(b) Except as provided in K.S.A. 21-3411, and amendments thereto, criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied building or occupied vehicle is the malicious, intentional and unauthorized discharge of a firearm at a dwelling, building, structure, motor vehicle, aircraft, watercraft, train, locomotive, railroad car, caboose, rail-mounted work equipment or rolling stock or other means of conveyance of persons or property in which there is a human being.
“Criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied building or occupied vehicle is a severity level 7, person felony.
“Criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied building or occupied vehicle which results in bodily harm to a person during the commission thereof is a severity level 5, person felony.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
143 P.3d 92, 36 Kan. App. 2d 664, 2006 Kan. App. LEXIS 979, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gomez-kanctapp-2006.