Opinion ID: 1224804
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: aggravated battery sentence

Text: K.S.A. 1993 Supp. 21-3414(a)(1)(A), intentionally causing great bodily harm to another person or disfigurement of another person, is a level 4 felony offense, and the district court sentenced Jackson to 43 months on count 4 for a level 4 felony offense. The 43-month figure is the highest figure in box 4-I of the nondrug sentencing grid. K.S.A. 1993 Supp. 21-4704. Jackson argues that the district court erred in sentencing him for a level 4 aggravated battery of Alan Eastman, and that the sentence is illegal. The State conceded this issue during oral argument. K.S.A. 1993 Supp. 21-3414 provides: (a) Aggravated battery is: (1)(A) intentionally causing great bodily harm to another person or disfigurement of another person; or (B) intentionally causing bodily harm to another person with a deadly weapon, or in any manner whereby great bodily harm, disfigurement, or death can be inflicted; or (C) intentionally causing physical contact with another person when done in a rude, insulting, or angry manner with a deadly weapon, or in any manner whereby great bodily harm, disfigurement, or death can be inflicted; or (2)(A) recklessly causing great bodily harm to another person or disfigurement of another person; or (B) recklessly causing bodily harm to another person with a deadly weapon, or in any manner whereby great bodily harm, disfigurement, or death can be inflicted. (b) Aggravated battery as described in subsection (a)(1)(A) is a severity level 4, person felony. Aggravated battery as described in subsections (a)(1)(B) and (a)(1)(C) is a severity level 7, person felony. Aggravated battery as described in subsection (a)(2)(A) is a severity level 5, person felony. Aggravated battery as described in section (a)(2)(B) is a severity level 8, person felony. A person convicted of aggravated battery shall be subject to the provisions of subsection (h) of K.S.A. 1993 Supp. 21-4704 and amendments thereto. Count 4 of the complaint, charging aggravated battery, reads: On or about the 8th day of April, 1994 in the County of Shawnee and State of Kansas, ROBERT LEWIS JACKSON, did then and there unlawfully, feloniously and wilfully intentionally cause great bodily harm to another person, to-wit: Allan [sic] Eastman, with a deadly weapon, to-wit: 9mm semi-automatic pistol, or in a manner whereby great bodily harm, disfigurement or death could have been inflicted, contrary to the form of the statutes in such case made and provided and against the peace and dignity of the State of Kansas. The language of Count 4 is a hybrid of the various sections of K.S.A. 1993 Supp. 21-3414, the aggravated battery statute. Count 4 includes an allegation of causing great bodily harm, from section (a)(1)(A), and the allegation of use of a deadly weapon whereby great bodily harm, disfigurement or death could have been inflicted from section (a)(1)(B). The jury was instructed in instruction No. 16 as to count 4 as follows: The defendant is charged in Count 4 with the crime of aggravated battery against the person of Allan [sic] Eastman. The defendant pleads not guilty. To establish this charge, each of the following claims must be proved: 1. That the defendant intentionally caused bodily harm to another person with a deadly weapon and in any manner whereby great bodily harm, disfigurement or death can be inflicted; and 2. That this act occurred on or about the 8th day of April, 1994, in Shawnee County, Kansas. This instruction does not state all the elements of level 4 aggravated battery because it lacks the element of causing great bodily harm and instead uses the language of K.S.A. 1993 Supp. 21-3414(a)(1)(B), a level 7 felony. Based on the verdict form, the jury actually convicted Jackson of level 7 aggravated battery defined in instruction No. 16. A sentence which does not conform to the statutory provisions, either in character or the term of the punishment authorized, is an illegal sentence. Carmichael v. State, 255 Kan. 10, Syl. ¶ 1, 872 P.2d 240 (1994). Therefore, the district court was without jurisdiction to impose a sentence in Count 4 for a level 4 felony offense. Although the charging document charged a level 4 aggravated battery, Jackson was convicted of level 7 aggravated battery. Under K.S.A. 1993 Supp. 21-3414, severity levels 5, 7, and 8 aggravated battery are lesser included offenses of level 4 aggravated battery. State v. Ochoa, 20 Kan. App.2d 1014, Syl. ¶ 3, 895 P.2d 198 (1995.) Here, the district court had jurisdiction of the level 4 and 7 felonies, and had jurisdiction to impose a sentence for the lesser level 7 aggravated battery of which Jackson was convicted. Jackson's sentence on Count 4 is vacated and the case is remanded with directions to resentence Jackson for a level 7 felony.