State v. O'Neal

824 P.2d 967, 250 Kan. 229, 1992 Kan. LEXIS 17
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedJanuary 17, 1992
DocketNo. 66,395
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 824 P.2d 967 (State v. O'Neal) 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. O'Neal, 824 P.2d 967, 250 Kan. 229, 1992 Kan. LEXIS 17 (kan 1992).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Herd, J.:

In this criminal action, Cencil O’Neal was charged with perjury, K.S.A. 1990 Supp. 21-3805. At the preliminary hearing, the district court dismissed the charge against O’Neal, finding the military officer who had taken O’Neal’s statement was acting outside his authority as a notary public. The State appeals the district court’s decision.

[230]*230Cencil O’Neal was charged with perjury based upon a statement made on January 8, 1991, to an army officer. On February 25, 1991, at the preliminary, hearing, the issue of whether the officer had the authority as a notary to take a sworn statement from a civilian was raised. The parties stipulated to the following facts.

O’Neal is not in the military. The charge against him, however, arises out of a statement he gave to Christian D. Marsh, a military police officer investigator. Marsh was investigating an incident that occurred at least in part at Ft. Riley. O’Neal’s statement was not made at Ft. Riley. Marsh’s authority for administering the oath is Article 136(b)(4) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (U.C.M.J.). This statute is codified at 10 U.S.C. § 936 (1988).

After hearing the parties’ arguments, the district court determined that the restrictions that apply to persons authorized to act as notaries under 10 U.S.C. § 936(a) (1988) also apply to those persons authorized to act as notaries under 10 U.S.C. § 936(b). The district court then found that under the U.C.M.J. an investigating military officer does have the authority to administer oaths for the purpose of military administration and military justice. Investigating military officers also have the general powers of a notary public. The district court, however, found that pursuant to § 936(a), this notarial authority applied only to acts executed by members of the armed forces or employed by or accompanying the armed forces outside the United States; thus, the oath made by O’Neal to Marsh did not qualify as an oath under Kansas law. The district court, therefore, dismissed the case against O’Neal.

The sole issue on appeal is whether Marsh as an investigating military officer had the authority as a notary to administer the oath and take a sworn statement from O’Neal, a civilian not associated with the military, while off-post.

First, let us look at the definition of perjury.' K.S.A. 1990 Supp. 21-3805 states in pertinent part:

“(a) Perjury is willfully, knowingly and falsely swearing, testifying, affirming, declaring or subscribing to any material fact upon any oath or affirmation legally administered in any cause, matter or proceeding before any court, tribunal, public body, notary public or other officer authorized to. administer oaths.” (Emphasis added.)

[231]*231The office of notary public is not a new creation. It began in the early Roman state and existed in England long before the Norman Conquest. The notary public originated under the law merchant, and the notary’s duties were limited to those that arose in the dealings of merchants. “Administering of oaths and taking of affidavits is not one of the common-law powers of a notary but is conferred only by legislative enactment. Its existence cannot be presumed.” Kumpe v. Gee, 187 S.W.2d 932, 934 (Tex. Civ. App. 1945).

The parties stipulated to the fact that Marsh is authorized to administer oaths and to act as notary pursuant to U.C.M.J. Art. 136(b)(4). The current version of Article 136 states:

“(a) The following persons on active duty or performing inactive-duty training may administer oaths for the purposes of military administration, including military justice:
(1) All judge advocates.
(2) All summary courts-martial.
(3) All adjutants, assistant adjutants, acting adjutants, and personnel adjutants.
(4) All commanding officers of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
(5) All staff judge advocates and legal officers, and acting or assistant staff judge advocates and legal officers.
(6) All other persons designated by regulations of the armed forces or by statute.
“(b) The following persons on active duty or performing inactive-duty training may administer oaths necessary in the performance of their duties-.
(1) The president, military judge, trial counsel, and assistant trial counsel for all general and special courts-martial.
(2) The president and the counsel for the court of any court inquiry.
(3) All officers designated to take a deposition.
(4) All persons detailed to conduct an investigation.
(5) All recruiting officers.
(6) All other persons designated by regulations of the armed forces or by statute.” 10 U.S.C. § 936 (1988 & Supp. II 1990). (Emphasis added.)

It is apparent the district court as well as the parties relied upon the statute’s language as it appeared prior to amendments made in 1990. Prior to these amendments 10 U.S.C. § 936(a) stated:

“The following persons on active duty may administer oaths for the purposes of military administration, including military justice, and have the general powers of a notary public and of a consul of the United States, in the performance of all notarial acts to be executed by members of any of [232]*232the armed forces, wherever they may be, by persons serving with, employed by, or accompanying the armed forces outside the United States and outside the Canal Zone, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands, and by other persons subject to this chapter outside the United States-. . . . .” (Emphasis added.)

Because the restrictive language of subsection (a) was no longer in force when O’Neal made his statement to Marsh, we need not determine whether the restrictive language also applied to subsection (b). Based upon the facts stipulated to by the parties, we find Marsh was authorized by federal statute to act as a notary.

The parties argue over whether Marsh’s authority as a notary extends to notarial acts performed off federal property. To answer this question, we must look to Kansas law because a notary public performs acts “by virtue of the local, and not the foreign, authority, and this rule applies to authority which may be extended by the Federal Government.” Kumpe, 187 S.W.2d at 934.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
824 P.2d 967, 250 Kan. 229, 1992 Kan. LEXIS 17, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-oneal-kan-1992.