Opinion ID: 2583014
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Whether the mandatory minimum sentence in K.S.A. 21-4643 violates the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Section 9 of the Bill of Rights of the Kansas Constitution

Text: Robison argues his life sentence violates the right against cruel or unusual punishment under Section 9 of the Bill of Rights of the Kansas Constitution, and the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The determination of whether a sentence is a cruel or unusual punishment is controlled by a three-factor test stated in State v. Freeman, 223 Kan. 362, 367, 574 P.2d 950 (1978). These factors include both legal and factual inquiries, and no one factor controls. Robison's arguments fail. Recently in State v. Mondragon, 289 Kan. ___, Syl. ¶ 2, 220 P.3d 369 (2009), State v. Thomas, 288 Kan. 157, Syl. ¶ 1, 199 P.3d 1265 (2009), and State v. Ortega-Cadelan, 287 Kan. 157, Syl. ¶ 2, 194 P.3d 1195 (2008), this court held that a defendant's argument that a life sentence imposed under the provisions of K.S.A. 21-4643 is a cruel or unusual punishment cannot be presented for the first time on appeal. Just as in Mondragon, Thomas, and Ortega-Cadelan, Robison made no reference to any constitutional concerns during plea negotiations, in his written motion for downward durational departure, or at his sentencing hearing. Robinson concedes that he advanced his argument for the first time on appeal. Just like the defendant in Thomas, Robison did not address these factors before the district court, did not present evidence, and did not ask the court to make findings of fact or conclusions of law on the issue. See Dragon v. Vanguard Industries, 282 Kan. 349, 356, 144 P.3d 1279 (2006) (litigant must object to inadequate findings of fact and conclusions of law before the trial court to preserve the issue for appeal); Supreme Court Rule 165 (2008 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 235). Thomas, 288 Kan. at 159-60, 199 P.3d 1265. Moreover, just like the Thomas defendant, defendant Robison: Conceding that he did not make the argument before the district court and recognizing the general rule that constitutional issues cannot be asserted for the first time on appeal, State v. Ortega-Cadelan, 287 Kan. 157, Syl. ¶ 1, 194 P.3d 1195 (2008), [defendant] urges application of one of the exceptions that recognize circumstances when an issue can be advanced for the first time on appeal. The exceptions were identified in Pierce v. Board of County Commissioners, 200 Kan. 74, 80-81, 434 P.2d 858 (1967), and are: (1) The newly asserted claim involves only a question of law arising on proved or admitted facts and is determinative of the case; (2) consideration of the claim is necessary to serve the ends of justice or to prevent the denial of fundamental rights; and (3) the district court is right for the wrong reason. [Defendant] argues that his case falls within the first two Pierce exceptions because the constitutional issue involves a question of law and also relates to a fundamental right. 288 Kan. at 160, 199 P.3d 1265. Robison too, citing State v. Puckett, 230 Kan. 596, 640 P.2d 1198 (1982), argued in his brief that his case falls within the first two Pierce exceptions because the constitutional issue involves a question of law and also relates to a fundamental right. Notwithstanding this argument, Thomas noted: These same arguments were presented by another defendant and rejected by this court in Ortega-Cadelan, 287 Kan. at 161, 194 P.3d 1195. Ortega-Cadelan pled guilty to one count of rape in violation of K.S.A. 21-3502(a)(2) (sexual intercourse with child under 14 years of age). He was sentenced under the same provision as applied to Thomas ... 21-4643(a)(1), and received a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years and postrelease supervision for life. Ortega-Cadelan appealed his sentence and argued for the first time on appeal that his sentence constituted cruel or unusual punishment. 288 Kan. at 160-61, 199 P.3d 1265. Thomas concluded: We declined to consider Ortega-Cadelan's argument that the sentence offended the constitutional prohibition against cruel or unusual punishment. Citing the three-prong Freeman test, we noted the factors include both factual and legal questions. Despite the defendant's attempt to focus on those factors that raised legal questions, we determined the factual aspects of the test could not be ignored because no single consideration controls the issue. As a result, we concluded that the factual aspects of the test must be considered by the district court before the question could be reviewed on appeal and so the issue was not properly before the court. 287 Kan. at 161, 194 P.3d 1195. 288 Kan. at 161, 199 P.3d 1265. We conclude that Mondragon, Thomas, and Ortega-Cadelan control. Robison's argument that his life sentence pursuant to [K.S.A. 21-4643(a)(1)] is a cruel or unusual punishment, which was ... not argued before the district court, cannot be presented for the first time on appeal. 288 Kan. at 161, 199 P.3d 1265.