Opinion ID: 2538538
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: use of criminal history to increase sentence

Text: Pennington argues that the trial court violated his constitutional rights by using his criminal history to increase his sentence. He claims that his criminal history should have been pled in the complaint and determined beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury. Finding that Pennington had a criminal history score of B, the district court sentenced Pennington to life imprisonment for the first-degree murder conviction, 29 months for the burglary conviction with this sentence to run consecutive to the life sentence, 12 months for the misdemeanor theft conviction to run concurrent with the burglary sentence, and 6 months for the criminal damage to property conviction, also to run concurrent with the burglary sentence. Review of this issue involves a question of law over which this court has de novo review. State v. Ivory, 273 Kan. 44, 46, 41 P.3d 781 (2002). The State argues that Pennington failed to preserve the issue for appeal because he did not object to his criminal history score. However, an appellate court may review a claim that the sentencing court erroneously included recognition of a prior conviction notwithstanding the defendant's failure to object to his or her criminal history score. K.S.A. 21-4721(e)(2); State v. Pope, 23 Kan. App. 2d 69, 79, 927 P.2d 503 (1996). Pennington relies on Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 147 L. Ed. 2d 435, 120 S. Ct. 2348 (2000). This issue, however, has previously been decided against Pennington. In Ivory, this court held that Apprendi does not apply when the sentence imposed is based on the defendant's criminal history score. 273 Kan. 44, Syl. The Ivory court noted that the United States Supreme Court carved out an exception for prior convictions and reasoned that a sentence within the presumptive sentencing range was not subject to being challenged on appeal pursuant to K.S.A. 21-4721(c)(1). 273 Kan. 44.