State v. Lashley

664 P.2d 1358, 233 Kan. 620, 1983 Kan. LEXIS 335
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedJune 10, 1983
Docket54,861
StatusPublished
Cited by79 cases

This text of 664 P.2d 1358 (State v. Lashley) 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. Lashley, 664 P.2d 1358, 233 Kan. 620, 1983 Kan. LEXIS 335 (kan 1983).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Lockett, J.:

This is an appeal from the district court of Wilson County, Kansas, by the defendant Clifton Lashley based upon a conviction under the felony murder rule.

Kelsie Robbins was a resident of Bella Vista, Arkansas. Sometime early in February, 1981, he took in as a houseguest Clifton Linwood Lashley. Robbins and Lashley were joined by Marla Longworth, who also lived for a period of time at the Robbins home. Early in June of 1981, Robbins, Longworth and Lashley drove to Fredonia, Kansas, to meet with one Kenneth Berry, a friend of Lashley. Mr. Robbins believed he was to participate in a bank robbery in Kansas with Lashley, Longworth and Berry. The trip to Kansas was for the purpose of planning that robbery.

*622 At the first meeting in Fredonia, Kansas, outside the presence of Robbins, Berry and Lashley, in the presence of Longworth, planned to murder Robbins. At this meeting Kenneth Berry supplied Lashley with a .25 caliber automatic, the murder weapon. Shortly after the meeting, Robbins, Lashley and Long-worth returned to Bella Vista, Arkansas.

Longworth testified that the next day she, while packing a suitcase, saw Lashley place in that suitcase a sterling silver tray belonging to Robbins. Robbins, Longworth and Lashley then left Bella Vista, Arkansas and drove to Fredonia, Kansas where they met Berry. Berry entered the vehicle and directed Robbins, who was driving, to a wooded area just north of Neodesha, Kansas. All four of the individuals walked a considerable distance through very rough, bushy terrain. Lashley, upon reaching a secluded area, pulled out the gun previously supplied him by Kenneth Berry and attempted to shoot Robbins. The gun jammed. Lashley handed the gun to Berry who corrected the faulty mechanism and returned the gun to Lashley. There is conflicting testimony as to the sequence in which the shots were fired at Robbins. Longworth testified that Lashley fired several shots into Robbins, then handed her the gun. She turned her head and fired one shot into the ground. Berry testified that Lashley fired a single shot and then Longworth emptied the clip at Robbins. Berry robbed the body of its personal effects and the three returned to the automobile belonging to the deceased and left the State of Kansas.

After leaving the wooded area in Wilson County, the three drove south towards Oklahoma City. In Oklahoma City, Berry attempted to sell some of the jewelry belonging to the deceased Robbins, one of those items being a 1970 class ring with the initials K. R. Thereafter, the trio left Oklahoma City and proceeded south to Gainsville, Texas, where additional jewelry belonging to the deceased was sold for the sum of $1,200.00 to a Mr. Clyde Bond.

At this point Kenneth Berry became apprehensive and at his first opportunity left Lashley and Longworth and returned to Kansas, where he initially told a story of being kidnapped by Lashley and Longworth. Berry, however, eventually came forward with the complete story. After Berry’s departure, Lashley and Longworth proceeded west and eventually ended up in *623 Phoenix, Arizona, using the names of Lonnie and April Sanders. While in Phoenix, Arizona, Lashley pawned a Rlack Hills gold man’s ring which had belonged to Robbins.

Lashley was tried to the jury on a charge of premeditated murder or first degree felony murder based upon the theft of property belonging to the deceased Robbins, having a value of more than $100.00. Lashley was convicted by the jury of murder in the first degree under the felony murder rule and now appeals that conviction.

Defendant’s preliminary examination was completed December 9, 1981, by a district magistrate judge. The district magistrate judge, after hearing the evidence, stated:

“The court, after hearing the evidence, finds that there’s probable cause to believe that the offense of Count II, first degree murder and Count III, felony murder has been committed and that there’s reason to believe that the defendant committed the crimes, and that he be bound over to appear before a district judge, or associate district judge for arraignment, . . . .”

December 21, 1981, a Notice of Appeal of the decision of the district magistrate judge binding the defendant over for arraignment was filed. The Notice of Appeal stated no reason or statutory authority for the appeal. A new preliminary examination was set for February 8, 1982, and a second judge assigned to hear the matter. February 8, 1982, Judge Richard L. Ashley ruled that the “binding over” at the preliminary hearing was not a final order and the court had no jurisdiction to hear the appeal and ordered the defendant to appear February 11, 1982, for arraignment.

Defendant first attempted to justify an appeal from the district magistrate judge’s ruling under K.S.A. 1982 Supp. 60-2103a, which provides:

“(a) In actions commenced in the district courts of this state all appeals from orders or final decisions of a district magistrate judge shall be heard by a district judge or associate district judge. Except as otherwise provided by law, such appeals shall be taken by notice of appeal specifying the order or decision complained of and shall be filed with the clerk of the district court within ten (10) days after the entry of such order or decision.”

Appeals contemplated by K.S.A. 1982 Supp. 60-2103a are from orders or final decisions of a district magistrate judge’s rulings in civil actions. The court, therefore, had no jurisdiction to hear an appeal under that procedure. Failing under K.S.A. 1982 Supp. 60-2103a, defendant states his right to appeal the district magis *624 trate judge’s ruling after the preliminary examination was provided by K.S.A. 1982 Supp. 22-3609a. It states in part:

“(1) A defendant shall have the right to appeal from any judgment of a district magistrate judge. The administrative judge shall be responsible for assigning a district judge or associate district judge for any such appeal. The appeal shall stay all further proceedings upon the judgment appealed from.
“(2) An appeal to a district judge or associate district judge shall be taken by filing a notice of appeal with the clerk of the court. No appeal shall be taken more than 10 days after the date of the judgment appealed from.
“(3) The clerk of the district court shall deliver the complaint, warrant and any appearance bond to the district judge or associate district judge to whom such appeal is assigned. The case shall be tried de novo before the assigned district judge or associate district judge.”

The order binding the defendant over for arraignment was not a “judgment” from which a defendant has a right to an appeal.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
664 P.2d 1358, 233 Kan. 620, 1983 Kan. LEXIS 335, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-lashley-kan-1983.