Opinion ID: 2632277
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Nature of Power Being Exercised

Text: Beard characterizes the essential nature of the power being exercised in this case as the power to grant probation. Beard cites State v. Dubish, 236 Kan. 848, 696 P.2d 969 (1985) and Att'y Gen. Op. No. 91-161, as support for her proposition that the function of probation is not an exclusive function of the judiciary and that the legislature may transfer authority from the judiciary to the executive branch. In Dubish, this court stated: Probation is an act of grace and the power to grant probation is provided by the legislature to the court. Probation is separate and distinct from sentence. 236 Kan. at 851. Beard asserts that because probation is distinct from the sentence itself, the finality of the sentence is not affected by the DOC's placement of inmates in Labette. See Dubish, 236 Kan. at 851 (The final judgment in a criminal case is the sentence and, by placing the defendant on probation, the trial court does not affect the finality of the judgment.). The DOC makes a slightly different analysis of the power being exercised. The DOC does not refer to the power as the power to grant probation, but instead refers to it as the DOC having the power to bring an inmate before the court, when the inmate has successfully completed the conservation camp program and is believed to fall within the scope of K.S.A. 1999 Supp. 21-4603d(e), for an adjudication on whether the inmate is within the eligibility requirements for transfer to community corrections supervision. The DOC acknowledges that K.S.A. 1999 Supp. 21-4603d(e) requires mandatory disposition if an inmate has completed the conservation camp program; however, it likens this to any other mandatory sentencing law that is enacted through legislative process. To support its mandatory sentencing rationale, the DOC cites to State v. Freeman, 223 Kan. 362, 369, 574 P.2d 950 (1978), in which this court stated that the fixing and prescribing of penalties for violating criminal statutes is a legislative function. The State asserts that this particular mandatory placement in community corrections supervision requires the court to place the inmate in community corrections and does not allow the court to exercise its discretion by taking into account certain factors it had previously considered in imposing sentence. Although it did not happen in this case because the sentencing court failed to consider placement in Labette at Beard's original sentencing, under K.S.A. 21-4603d(e), it is possible for the DOC to place an inmate in a conservation camp after the sentencing court has denied such placement. The State takes issue with the DOC's ability to mandate that the court place such an offender in community corrections. The State contends that the jurisdiction to grant and supervise probation lies solely with the district court, citing Dubish, 236 Kan. at 851. It must be noted that in making this statement, however, the Dubish court relied upon the statutes and case law at the time and explicitly recognized that the power to grant probation is dependant upon statutory provisions. See 236 Kan. at 851. The State also disputes Beard's claim that probation is separate from the sentence. In doing so, the State relies upon this court's statement in State v. Martin, 270 Kan. at 610, that K.S.A. 21-4603d(e) is a substantive prescription of punishment and not a procedural statute. Although both the State and Beard refer to the court's placement under K.S.A. 1999 Supp. 21-4603d(e) as probation, placement in community corrections after being transferred into the custody of the DOC is not probation. Our statutes refer to placement in community corrections as being distinct from parole or probation. See, e.g., K.S.A. 21-4608(b) (Any person who is convicted and sentenced for a crime committed while on probation, assignment to a community correctional services program, parole or conditional release ...); see also Att'y Gen. Op. No. 91-161 (probation, community corrections, and parole are referred to as separate functions). K.S.A. 2001 Supp. 21-4602 defines these terms as follows: (c) `Probation' means a procedure under which a defendant, found guilty of a crime upon verdict or plea, is released by the court after imposition of sentence, without imprisonment except as provided in felony cases, subject to conditions imposed by the court and subject to the supervision of the probation service of the court or community corrections. In felony cases, the court may include confinement in a county jail not to exceed 60 days ... as a condition of an original probation sentence and up to 60 days in a county jail upon each revocation of the probation sentence.... (d) `Parole' means the release of a prisoner to the community by the Kansas parole board prior to the expiration of such prisoner's term, subject to conditions imposed by the board and to the secretary of correction's supervision. Parole also means the release by a court of competent jurisdiction of a person confined in the county jail or other local place of detention after conviction and prior to expiration of such person's term, subject to conditions imposed by the court and its supervision. .... (f) `Community correctional services program' means a program which operates under the community corrections act and to which a defendant is assigned for supervision, confinement, detention, care or treatment, subject to conditions imposed by the court. A defendant assigned to a community correctional services program shall be subject to the continuing jurisdiction of the court and in no event shall be considered to be in the custody of or under the supervision of the secretary of corrections. (Emphasis added.) Assignment to community corrections in this case cannot be termed probation because Beard was placed in DOC custody and was not released by the court before imprisonment or after assignment to the county jail as the statute permits. See K.S.A. 2001 Supp. 21-4602(c). The placement would also not fall within the statutory definition of parole because the Kansas parole board will not be granting the release nor is Beard in a local place of detention as the definition provides. See K.S.A. 2001 Supp. 21-4602(d). Although none of the parties address the issue, this distinction is relevant in determining the type of power being exercised in this case.