Opinion ID: 2334920
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: failure to depart from the life sentence

Text: Roberts next argues that the district court abused its discretion by denying his departure motion. The State argues the district court properly reviewed Roberts' motion. We find the district court did not abuse its discretion. Roberts attempts to characterize his claim as involving statutory interpretation in order to invoke a de novo standard of review. But there is no dispute about what the sentencing statute provides or how the district court is to apply it. Roberts simply argues the district court should have reached a different outcome. And under those circumstances, appellate courts review the denial of a sentencing departure motion for an abuse of discretion. See State v. Marler, 290 Kan. 119, 126, 223 P.3d 804 (2010). Judicial discretion is abused if judicial action is (1) arbitrary, fanciful, or unreasonable, i.e., no reasonable person would take the view adopted by the trial court; (2) based on an error of law, i.e., the discretion is guided by an erroneous legal conclusion; or (3) based on an error of fact, i.e., substantial competent evidence does not support a factual finding on which a prerequisite conclusion of law or the exercise of discretion is based. State v. Ward, 292 Kan. 541, 550, 256 P.3d 801 (2011). Under K.S.A. 21-4643(d), the sentencing court shall impose a hard 25 sentence in a Jessica's Law case unless the judge finds substantial and compelling reasons, following a review of mitigating circumstances, to impose a departure. The statute includes a nonexclusive list of factors the court may consider when determining whether to grant a departure, including whether the defendant has no significant criminal history; whether the victim was an accomplice and the defendant's participation was relatively minor; and whether the defendant's capacity to appreciate the criminality of his or her conduct or conform such conduct to the requirements of the law was substantially impaired. K.S.A. 21-4643(d)(1), (3) and (5). Roberts argues his diminished mental capacity and maturity, his lack of a prior criminal history, and the fact that the victim allegedly made the initial advances and was a willing participant comprise substantial and compelling reasons to grant the departure motion. At sentencing, the district court considered Roberts' motion and the victim's mother's testimony. It acknowledged that Roberts has no criminal history, but it also found the 12-year-old victim and her family were harmed by Roberts' actions. It also found that any alleged role the victim played could have been easily addressed in a different manner given the disparity in age. This analysis demonstrates the district court complied with its duty to review both the mitigating and aggravating circumstances. See State v. Ballard, 289 Kan. 1000, 1009, 218 P.3d 432 (2009) (district court must review mitigating and aggravating circumstance and does not simply contrast total number of aggravating factors with mitigating factors). The district court was not guided by an error of law. Its recitation of the facts supporting the aggravating and mitigating factors is supported by the record. And we cannot find that no reasonable person would have taken the trial court's view. Affirmed.