Opinion ID: 2587723
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: Constitutionality of Hard 50 Sentence

Text: Engelhardt contends that Kansas' hard 50 sentencing formula is unconstitutional because it does not afford criminal defendants the right to have a jury determine beyond a reasonable doubt all the facts which might increase the maximum penalty for first-degree murder. The constitutionality of a statute is a question of law over which this court has unlimited review. State v. Beard, 274 Kan. 181, Syl. ¶ 1, 49 P.3d 492 (2002). Engelhardt asks this court to revisit State v. Conley, 270 Kan. 18, 11 P.3d 1147 (2000), cert. denied 532 U.S. 932 (2001), where we upheld a hard 40 sentence as constitutional. See also Harris v. United States, 536 U.S. 545, 567, 153 L. Ed. 2d 524, 122 S. Ct. 2406 (2002) (Within the range authorized by the jury's verdict, however, the political system may channel judicial discretion  and rely upon judicial expertise  by requiring defendants to serve minimum terms after judges make certain factual findings.). Engelhardt relies on several recent United States Supreme Court cases. See Ring v. Arizona, 536 U.S. 584, 589, 153 L. Ed. 2d 556, 122 S. Ct. 2428 (2002); Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 494, 147 L. Ed. 2d 435, 120 S. Ct. 2348 (2000); Jones v. United States, 526 U.S. 227, 243, 143 L. Ed. 2d 311, 119 S. Ct. 1215 (1999). This court has previously considered these cases and nevertheless upheld the hard 50 sentencing scheme and Conley. See, e.g., State v. Hurt, 278 Kan. 676, 686-88, 101 P.3d 1249 (2004); State v. Wilkerson, 278 Kan. 147, 160, 91 P.3d 1181 (2004); State v. Hebert, 277 Kan. 61, 108, 82 P.3d 470 (2004); State v. Boldridge, 274 Kan. 795, 812, 57 P.3d 8 (2002), cert. denied 538 U.S. 950 (2003). This challenge to Engelhardt's sentence fails.