State v. McCloud

891 P.2d 324, 257 Kan. 1, 1995 Kan. LEXIS 23
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedFebruary 28, 1995
Docket69,597
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 891 P.2d 324 (State v. McCloud) 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. McCloud, 891 P.2d 324, 257 Kan. 1, 1995 Kan. LEXIS 23 (kan 1995).

Opinions

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Lockett, J.:

Defendant appeals his convictions and sentence imposed on 12 counts of aggravated robbery, K.S.A. 21-3427. On appeal, the defendant claims: (1) his sentence violates the constitution; reflects partiality, prejudice, or corrupt motive of the judge; and violates the requisite considerations of K.S.A. 21-4601; [3]*3(2) law enforcement officers used excessive force in executing a search warrant; (3) the judge failed to instruct on a lesser included crime; (4) the judge improperly instructed the jury on criminal intent; and (5) defendant was denied meaningful access to the court.

Michael McCloud was convicted of 12 separate aggravated robberies of convenience stores, grocery stores, and restaurants committed between September 1990 and January 1991. McCloud was originally sentenced to consecutive terms of 15 years to life on each conviction, for a controlling term of 180 years to life. McCloud’s sentence was later modified to consecutive terms of 8 years to life on each count, for a controlling term of 96 years to life. The facts surrounding each robbery are not at issue in this appeal and therefore are not discussed except where pertinent to the analysis of those issues which have been raised.

Cruel or Unusual Punishment

McCloud argues that his controlling sentence of 96 years to Me is so excessive and disproportionate Lo his crimes that it constitutes cruel or unusual punishment in violation of § 9 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights. Although the Kansas constitutional prohibition against cruel or unusual punishment is directed primarily at the kind of punishment imposed rather than its duration, the length of a particular sentence may be so excessive as to constitute cruel or unusual punishment. State v. Strauch, 239 Kan. 203, 220, 718 P.2d 613 (1986); State v. McDaniel & Owens, 228 Kan. 172, 185, 612 P.2d 1231 (1980).

This court has previously recognized that the imposition of consecutive sentences does not per se constitute cruel or unusual punishment. State v. Tyler, 251 Kan. 616, 647, 840 P.2d 413 (1992) (controlling sentence of 111 to 330 years held not to violate § 9 of Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights); In re MacLean, 147 Kan. 678, Syl. ¶ 4, 78 P.2d 855 (1938) (consecutive sentences following guilty verdicts held not to violate constitutional provision forbidding cruel or unusual punishment).

In determining whether the length of a sentence offends the constitutional prohibition against cruel or unusual punishment, [4]*4three factors are considered: (1) the nature of the offense and tire character of the offender, with particular regard to the degree of danger present to society; relevant to this inquiry are the facts of the crime, tire violent or nonviolent nature of the offense, the extent of the offender’s culpability for any resulting injury, and dre penological purposes of the prescribed punishment; (2) a comparison of the penalty with punishments imposed in this jurisdiction for more serious offenses, and if among drenr are found more serious crimes punished less severely than the offense in question, the challenged penalty is to that extent suspect; and (3) a comparison of the penalty widr punishments in other jurisdictions for the same offense. State v. Freeman, 223 Kan. 362, 367, 574 P.2d 950 (1978).

McCloud presented no evidence regarding the third factor set fordi in Freeman but argues that evaluation of the first two factors reveals that the sentence imposed is so excessive and disproportionate that it constitutes cruel or unusual punishment. Considering the first Freeman factor, the nature of the offense and the character of the offender, McCloud argues that the district judge failed to consider that no one was injured, he verbally threatened the victims in only 3 of the 12 robberies he committed, he displayed a gun in a threatening manner in only 5 of the 12 incidents, and he took only $11,000 to $12,000, not hundreds of thousands of dollars. McCloud further points out that these are his first convictions, there is nothing in his background to indicate a violent disposition or evidence of a drug or alcohol problem, and letters from supervisors in prison indicate he has been a model prisoner and helpful to others.

McCloud’s arguments are most unusual and not convincing. McCloud committed 12 separate aggravated robberies over a period of several months. While he may have displayed a gun in less of a drreatening manner during some of the robberies, there is no question that McCloud wore a mask and held a loaded gun during each crime. The evidence at trial indicates that had someone resisted, there could have been serious injury or death. We have recognized that aggravated robbery' committed with a firearm is an inherently dangerous felony regardless of whether anyone is injured [5]*5by the firearm. McDaniel & Owens, 228 Kan. at 185. During direct examination by the prosecutor, the defendant’s girlfriend, who had participated in several of the robberies, testified:

“A. Before lie would rob a place as he was loading die guns he would wipe die bullets off real good so there weren’t any fingerprints on the bullets if he had to use it. If he got bank bags, he’d always wipe die bank bags down real good and carry them witii a tcwel or rag or something so diere would never be fingerprints on them.
“Q. So w'ere die weapons always loaded tiiat he used?
“A. Yes, sir, tiiey w'ere.”

The amount of money taken in an aggravated robbery has little bearing on the punishment imposed for this particular crime. Had more money been available, McCloud’s proceeds from the aggravated robberies would have been greater. See 228 Kan. at 185. As to McCloud’s character, the presentence investigation report indicates McCloud exhibits no remorse for his crimes.

When a sentence'is fixed by the trial judge within permissible limits of the applicable statutes, the sentence is not erroneous. In the absence of special circumstances showing an abuse of judicial discretion, it cannot be determined on appeal that such a sentence is excessive or so disproportionate to the offense to constitute cruel or unusual punishment. State v. Pettay, 216 Kan. 555, Syl. ¶ 4, 532 P.2d 1289 (1975). Under the statutes applicable at the time of McCloud’s crimes, aggravated robbery was a class B felony and had a minimum sentence of 5 to 15 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years to life. See K.S.A. 21-3427 and K.S.A. 21-4501. McCloud’s ultimate sentence of eight years to life for each aggravated robbery is well within the court’s discretion.

As to the second Freeman

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State v. McCloud
891 P.2d 324 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1995)

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Bluebook (online)
891 P.2d 324, 257 Kan. 1, 1995 Kan. LEXIS 23, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mccloud-kan-1995.