Opinion ID: 2600446
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: focusing on the issues

Text: Kansas appellate courts have only such appellate jurisdiction as is provided by law. The filing of a timely notice of appeal is jurisdictional. Failure to file a timely notice of appeal requires dismissal of the untimely appeal. Exceptions to the requirement of dismissal of direct appeals have been recognized in the interest of fundamental fairness only in those cases where a criminal defendant either was not informed of the rights to appeal or was not furnished an attorney to perfect an appeal or was furnished an attorney for that purpose who failed to perfect and complete an appeal. State v. Phinney, 280 Kan. 394, Syl. ¶ 3, 122 P.3d 356 (2005). These three exceptions were first set forth in State v. Ortiz, 230 Kan. 733, 640 P.2d 1255 (1982), and are frequently referred to as the Ortiz exceptions. Interestingly, Ortiz himself was not permitted to file his direct appeal out of time from his sentence as he did not qualify for any of the exceptions. 230 Kan. at 736-37, 640 P.2d 1255. Guillory's 60-1507 motion filed herein sought leave to file a direct appeal of his sentence on the grounds: (1) he was never informed of his right to appeal his sentence; (2) he received ineffective assistance of counsel; (3) his attorney coerced him into entering a guilty plea. He contended he came within the first Ortiz exception (failure to be informed of his right to appeal). When presented with a K.S.A. 60-1507 motion, a district court has three options: First, it may determine that the motion, files, and records of the case conclusively show that the petitioner is entitled to no relief, in which case it will summarily deny the petitioner's motion. Second, the court may determine from the motion, files, and records that a substantial issue or issues are presented, requiring a full evidentiary hearing with the presence of the petitioner. Third, the court may determine that a potentially substantial issue or issues of fact are raised in the motion, supported by the files and records, and hold a preliminary hearing after appointment of counsel to determine whether in fact the issues in the motion are substantial. Laymon v. State, 280 Kan. 430, Syl. ¶ 1, 122 P.3d 326 (2005). The district court selected the first option. This is commonly referred to as the threshold determination. Noting the portion of the transcript showing the court had advised Guillory of his right of appeal, the court summarily dismissed the motion. A petition for postconviction relief filed under K.S.A. 60-1507 is a civil proceeding and is governed by the rules of civil procedure. Supreme Court Rule 183(a) (2006 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 227); State v. Richardson, 194 Kan. 471, 472-73, 399 P.2d 799 (1965). Accordingly, the procedure for appeal in a K.S.A. 60-1507 action is found in K.S.A. 60-2103(a), which requires an appeal to be filed within 30 days from the entry of judgment. A statutory exception exists where a party shows that, through excusable neglect, the party failed to learn of the entry of judgment. K.S.A. 60-2103(a). In addition, Kansas case law has recognized a unique circumstances exception which applies where an untimely filing of a notice of appeal was the result of the appellant's good faith reliance on the court's error in extending the time for filing the appeal when it had no authority to do so. See Schroeder v. Urban, 242 Kan. 710, 713-14, 750 P.2d 405 (1988). Guillory does not contend his untimely appeal meets either of these exceptions and, in fact, neither exception would apply in this case. Rather, Guillory seeks to extend Ortiz to recognize an exception where an untimely appeal will be permitted from a 60-1507 motion which has been summarily denied and the defendant was not notified of the right to appeal. The claims in the 60-1507 motion relative to failure to inform him of his right to direct appeal from his sentence and ineffective assistance of counsel have been abandoned. The only issues before us are whether defendant can file an untimely appeal from the summary denial of his 60-1507 motion and, if so, was defendant's plea coerced by his attorney. We turn to the first issue.