Opinion ID: 2640251
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Weighing Factors for Hard 50 Sentence

Text: Warledo next challenges the trial court's finding under K.S.A. 21-4636(f) that the murder was committed in an especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel manner. Although he presents this issue as a sufficiency of the evidence question, Warledo does not actually dispute the sentencing court's findings regarding the aggravating circumstance. Instead, he argues that the sentencing court should have given more weight to the mitigating circumstances presented by the defense. Our standard of review on the sentencing court's weighing of aggravating and mitigating circumstances is abuse of discretion. State v. Lawrence, 281 Kan. 1081, Syl. ¶ 3, 135 P.3d 1211 (2006); State v. Robertson, 279 Kan. 291, 308, 109 P.3d 1174 (2005). As in the present case, when a defendant is convicted of premeditated first-degree murder, Kansas law provides that the sentencing court shall determine whether the defendant shall be required to serve a mandatory term of imprisonment of 50 years without eligibility for parole. K.S.A. 21-4635(b); K.S.A. 21-4638. The court is required to make the hard 50 determination after considering evidence of aggravating and mitigating circumstances. K.S.A. 21-4635(c). If the sentencing court finds that one or more of the aggravating circumstances enumerated in K.S.A. 21-4636 exist and that the existence of such aggravating circumstances is not outweighed by any mitigating circumstances, the defendant shall receive the hard 50 sentence. K.S.A. 21-4635(d). Here, the sentencing court found that one aggravating circumstance existedthe defendant committed the crime in an especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel manner. K.S.A. 21-4636(f). As a basis for the aggravating circumstance, the court found (1) there was infliction of mental anguish or physical abuse before the victim's death, (2) there were continuous acts of violence before and continuing after the killing, and (3) there was the desecration of the victim's body in a manner indicating a particular depravity of mind. K.S.A. 21-4636(f)(3), (5) and (6). Again, Warledo does not raise any arguments disputing these findings. At sentencing, Warledo asserted two statutory mitigating circumstances. First, he argued that he was under the influence of extreme mental and emotional disturbances at the time of the incident. K.S.A. 21-4637(b). Second, Warledo contended his capacity to appreciate the criminality of his conduct and conform his conduct to the requirements of the law was substantially impaired because of his mental condition at the time of the incident. K.S.A. 21-4637(f). Warledo essentially contends that his claimed mental defect outweighed any other factors. The sentencing judge found that the mitigating circumstances alleged by Warledo existed, but he also found that the State proved the existence of the aggravating circumstance. The judge described his weighing of the aggravating and mitigating circumstances: [I]t is recognized ... that one aggravating circumstance[] could be so compelling as to outweigh several mitigating circumstances and vice versa. In this case, I have no question that there [were] some mitigating circumstances. I think there was mental or emotional disturbance that existed. To say that they were extreme, I'm not certain I have the capacity to measure other than to recognize that they exist. It is a mitigating factor that the capacity of the defendant to appreciate the criminality of his conduct at the moment in time was substantially impaired. And then weighed against that are the actual facts of the crime. It admittedly, even [defense counsel] has acknowledged, it was a very brutal case. No question, the body was set on fire. There is no question about that. Based on my weighing of these facts and circumstances, and the criteria of the statute, I do find that the defendant committed the crime in an especially heinous, atrocious or cruel manner by the infliction of mental anguish or physical abuse before the victim's death [and] by the continuous acts of violence begun before or continuing after the killing, that being the continual stomping. And certainly the desecration of the victim's body in a manner indicating a particular depravity of mind, either during or following the killing. And I find that these aggravating circumstances are not outweighed by the mitigating circumstances, and accordingly the court will impose the life sentence with the Hard 50 requirement. Warledo argues that the sentencing court failed to carefully consider the mitigating evidence and, instead, improperly chose only to focus on the evidence supporting the aggravating circumstance. But the sentencing court's comments clearly show that the court did properly consider and weigh the defendant's mitigators. The court simply found that the State's aggravating circumstance outweighed the defendant's mitigating circumstances. It is well established that `[w]eighing aggravating and mitigating circumstances is not a numbers game. One aggravating circumstance can be so compelling as to outweigh several mitigating circumstances' and vice versa. State v. Engelhardt, 280 Kan. 113, 144, 119 P.3d 1148 (2005). Warledo has failed to establish an abuse of discretion.