Opinion ID: 2630419
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: issues

Text: Before proceeding, we pause to clarify what is not being addressed or decided in this opinion. In its responsive brief, the State argues that a petition for writ of habeas corpus was improper in this case, suggesting that McCracken was required to first raise the immunity issue in the criminal proceeding through a motion to dismiss. The generalized argument further suggests that by failing to timely file a motion to dismiss in the criminal proceeding, McCracken waived his right to claim the statutory immunity. Initially, we note that no record of the criminal proceedings was included in the record on appeal. Therefore, we would have to take on faith that the issue was not raised in that proceeding. More importantly, however, the State challenged the propriety of employing a K.S.A. 60-1501 petition in the district court, through its motion for judgment on the pleadings and motion to dissolve the writ. The State argued, inter alia, that the petition was an impermissible collateral attack on the criminal court's probable cause determination. The district court denied the motions, specifically making findings adverse to the State's arguments, and subsequently refusing to reconsider its ruling. The State did not cross-appeal on those adverse rulings, and, therefore, we are precluded from considering the issue in this appeal. See K.S.A. 60-2103(h); Mid-Continent Specialists, Inc. v. Capital Homes, 279 Kan. 178, 191-92, 106 P.3d 483 (2005). At oral argument, the State made the new argument that we can review the issue by characterizing it as a question of jurisdiction, given that an appellate court is always permitted to consider jurisdiction. See State v. Wendler, 280 Kan. 753, Syl. ¶ 1, 126 P.3d 1124 (2006) (appellate court has duty to question jurisdiction on own initiative). We decline the invitation. The district court had jurisdiction of the parties and of the subject matter. Indeed, even the State, in its motion for judgment on the pleadings, agreed that habeas corpus is an appropriate vehicle to challenge a trial court's pretrial denial of a claim of statutory immunity from criminal prosecution. Therefore, we decline to review the denial of the State's motions and do not opine on the timing or prerequisites for a petition for writ of habeas corpus in these circumstances. Likewise, we have not been presented with any challenge to K.S.A. 21-3219. Therefore, we do not offer any opinion on the statute's provisions or the burden of proof anomalies which it might create. We narrowly restrict our decision today to a determination of whether McCracken met his burden of proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that he was justified in using deadly force against Parker, Carothers, and Lane under K.S.A. 21-3211, K.S.A. 21-3212, or K.S.A. 21-3213.