State v. Jackson

Court of Appeals of Kansas·Decided August 9, 2019·No. 119499·Unpublished

Opinion

NOT DESIGNATED FOR PUBLICATION

No. 119,499

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF KANSAS

STATE OF KANSAS, Appellee,

v.

CHACE ANTHONI JACKSON, Appellant.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Appeal from Saline District Court; JARED B. JOHNSON, judge. Opinion filed August 9, 2019. Affirmed.

Jennifer C. Roth, of Kansas Appellate Defender Office, for appellant.

Ellen Mitchell, county attorney, and Derek Schmidt, attorney general, for appellee.

Before HILL, P.J., STANDRIDGE, J., and NEIL B. FOTH, District Judge, assigned.

PER CURIAM: Chace Anthoni Jackson pled guilty to criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The district court sentenced him to 161 months' imprisonment with lifetime postrelease supervision. On appeal, Jackson argues the district court's decision to impose lifetime postrelease supervision amounts to cruel and unusual punishment under § 9 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights and the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution. For the reasons stated below, we affirm the decision of the district court.

1 FACTS

Jackson met the victim, L.V., in February 2017. Jackson began texting L.V. on November 28, 2017, just days after her 15th birthday. In these texts, Jackson encouraged L.V. to sneak out of her family home to see him, enticing her with alcohol and marijuana. On November 30, 2017, they had the following text message exchange:

"[Jackson:] 'Hurry and get that booty over here.' "[L.V.:] 'Can[']t.' "[Jackson:] 'You can . . . You are more th[a]n welcomed over lol just don[']t get caught.' . . . 'I got liq and tree. Plus back rubs or what not.'"

L.V. ultimately agreed to sneak out to meet Jackson, who picked her up and took her to the house in which he lived in the basement.

While in the basement, Jackson provided L.V. with marijuana and the two of them smoked "'a bowl of weed together.'" Jackson also offered her alcohol, but she refused. After kissing L.V. on her neck and breasts, Jackson sexually assaulted L.V. The first time Jackson penetrated her, he did not wear a condom. The second time Jackson penetrated her, he wore a condom. When Jackson was done, L.V. told Jackson she needed to go home. They both got dressed, and Jackson drove L.V. home.

The next day, L.V. went to Salina Regional Health Center and reported the sexual assault. She provided Jackson's first name and a description of his house to detectives. When Detectives Chris Venables and Andrew Zeigler went to the address, Jackson answered the door. The detectives explained why they were there and asked to see the basement. The basement was as L.V. had described, and the detectives saw marijuana and paraphernalia in plain sight. The detectives informed Jackson of his Miranda rights. He confirmed that he understood his rights. Jackson also informed the detectives that he had more marijuana. The detectives requested permission to search the basement, and

2 Jackson provided his consent. The detectives arrested Jackson and transported him to the police department.

Although characterizing it as sexual intercourse instead of sexual assault, Jackson confirmed the underlying facts provided by L.V. in her report. He added that he committed an act of oral sex on L.V. before having sexual intercourse with her. Jackson told detectives he thought L.V. was 15 or 16 years old. During the interview, Jackson allowed the detectives to look at the messages on his phone. The detectives discovered a text message in which L.V. informed Jackson that she was 15 years old, to which he replied, "'I know.'"

The State charged Jackson with indecent liberties with a child, criminal sodomy, three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, contributing to a child's misconduct or deprivation, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Pursuant to a plea agreement, Jackson pled guilty to one count each of criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child, both severity level 3 person felonies. In return for his agreement to enter guilty pleas, the State agreed to recommend the district court sentence him to the mitigated sentence in the grid box and run the two sentences concurrently. The State also agreed that Jackson would be free to ask for a lesser sentence.

Before sentencing, Jackson filed two motions. In the first motion, Jackson requested a durational departure from the presumptive prison sentences on the sentencing grid for each of the crimes of conviction. In the second motion, Jackson argued that imposition of lifetime postrelease supervision as required under K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 22- 3717 for each of the crimes of conviction would violate his constitutional right to be free

3 from cruel and unusual punishment as guaranteed by the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights and the Eighth Amendment.

The district court heard argument on both motions at the sentencing hearing. Regarding the constitutionality of lifetime postrelease supervision, the court considered written pleadings submitted by the parties on the issue, the law enforcement affidavit provided to the court as the factual basis for Jackson's guilty pleas, and the written victim impact statement submitted by L.V. to the court. After hearing arguments from counsel, the court ultimately ruled that imposing lifetime postrelease supervision in this case would not result in a punishment that was cruel or unusual under the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights or the Eighth Amendment.

Regarding the request for durational departure, the district court considered the documentation identified above and the testimony of Jackson, L.V., and L.V.'s mother. In his testimony, Jackson was generally apologetic to L.V., her family, and his family but appeared to minimize the gravity of his crimes and the severity of the punishment he faced. While he claimed to accept responsibility for the sexual assaults he committed, he blamed substance abuse, mental health issues, and a poor upbringing for his actions. Jackson told the court that he had not realized things were getting out of hand that night and "[he understood] now that [his] actions were wrong, but there was no sign of struggle or anything else that was stating that this was anything more than, you know, um, consensual." Jackson commented to the court that everybody makes mistakes and that all he wanted was a chance to make things better, to make it up to his family, and to use his experience to help prevent others from making "careless mistakes."

L.V. read her victim impact statement, which the district court already had incorporated into its analysis on the constitutionality of lifetime postrelease supervision. She said she believed Jackson was 22 years old and he waited until she was so high that she could not speak or move. L.V. said she suffered from severe depression and anxiety.

4 She had been hospitalized three times following this incident: twice for suicidal ideation and once following a suicide attempt. She blamed Jackson for being tormented by peers. L.V. told the court "[i]t was not indecent liberties. This was no Romeo and Juliet; this was rape." She asked the court to imprison Jackson to the fullest extent of the law.

L.V.'s mother provided additional insight to the adverse effects L.V. suffered as a result of Jackson's sexual assault on her daughter. In junior high school, L.V. was on the honor roll, was in Girl Scouts, was in debate, and was active in sports and extracurricular school activities, including orchestra. L.V. was outgoing and had many friends.

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