Opinion ID: 2637619
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: State v. Gordon

Text: The State argues that there existed a 30-day window under the provisions of K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716(d) after Gordon's probation was to end May 2, 1998, to issue a warrant for the arrest or notice to appear for the defendant to answer a charge of a violation of the conditions of probation. K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716(d). Revocation proceedings against Gordon were initiated May 28, 1998, within the 30-day window based upon violations that occurred before his probationary period ended. Gordon's hearing on the motion for revocation was set for July 10, 1998. Upon hearing, the district court revoked Gordon's probation and reinstated his probation, extending it for 2 additional years to end July 17, 2000. Thus, according to the State's argument, the July 10, 2000, extension of Gordon's probation until restitution and other fees were paid was entered by the district court within Gordon's probationary term. The Court of Appeals concluded that for the district court to retain jurisdiction over Gordon's probation, the revocation proceedings had to be initiated within the probation period. Since revocation proceedings were initiated May 28, 1998, and Gordon's probation ended May 2, 1998, the subsequent order revoking and extending his probation was void ab initio. Gordon, 30 Kan. App. 2d at 855. The Court of Appeals addressed the extended 30-day provisions of K.S.A. 22-3716(d), but concluded based upon our recent decision in State v. Ferguson, 271 Kan. 613, 617, 23 P.3d 891 (2001), that [t]he pleading seeking the revocation of a defendant's probation must be filed during the term of the probation. The court then has 30 days after the termination of the probationary period to cause the defendant to appear for a hearing. The State, however, may not wait to file for the revocation following the end of the term of probation. 30 Kan. App. 2d at 856. If the State's interpretation of K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716(d) is correct, the district court retained jurisdiction over Gordon and its order extending probation until restitution was paid, is valid. If the Court of Appeals' interpretation of K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716(d) is correct, its conclusion that the district court had no jurisdiction over Gordon must be affirmed. The interpretation of a statute is a question of law, and the appellate court's review is unlimited. Babe Houser Motor Co. v. Tetreault, 270 Kan. 502, 506, 14 P.3d 1149 (2000). When a statute is plain and unambiguous, the court must give effect to the intention of the legislature as expressed, rather than determine what the law should or should not be. Stated another way, when a statute is plain and unambiguous, the appellate courts will not speculate as to the legislative intent behind it and will not read such a statute so as to add something not readily found in it. State ex rel. Stovall v. Meneley, 271 Kan. 355, 378, 22 P.3d 124 (2001). K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716 provides in part as follows: (a) At any time during probation, assignment to a community correctional services program, suspension of sentence or pursuant to subsection (d) for defendants who committed a crime prior to July 1, 1993, and at any time during which a defendant is serving a nonprison sanction for a crime committed on or after July 1, 1993, or pursuant to subsection (d), the court may issue a warrant for the arrest of a defendant for violation of any of the conditions of release or assignment, a notice to appear to answer to a charge of violation or a violation of the defendant's nonprison sanction. The notice shall be personally served upon the defendant. The warrant shall authorize all officers named in the warrant to return the defendant to the custody of the court or to any certified detention facility designated by the court. Any court services officer or community correctional services officer may arrest the defendant without a warrant or may deputize any other officer with power of arrest to do so by giving the officer a written statement setting forth that the defendant has, in the judgment of the court services officer or community correctional services officer, violated the conditions of the defendant's release or a nonprison sanction. The written statement delivered with the defendant by the arresting officer to the official in charge of a county jail or other place of detention shall be sufficient warrant for the detention of the defendant. After making an arrest, the court services officer or community correctional services officer shall present to the detaining authorities a similar statement of the circumstances of violation. Provisions regarding release on bail of persons charged with a crime shall be applicable to defendants arrested under these provisions. . . . . (d) The court shall have 30 days following the date probation, assignment to a community correctional service program, suspension of sentence or a nonprison sanction was to end to issue a warrant for the arrest or notice to appear for the defendant to answer a charge of a violation of the conditions of probation, assignment to a community correctional service program, suspension of sentence or a nonprison sanction. The 1990 Legislature added the 30-day window now contained in K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716(d). L. 1990, ch. 112, sec. 1. The proposed change resulted from an unpublished decision by the Court of Appeals in State v. Arnold, No. 63,866 filed November 9, 1989. Prior to the amendment, the Court of Appeals in Arnold found that the plain language of K.S.A. 22-3716(1) (Ensley 1988) precluded a finding that the district court had jurisdiction over the case once the term of probation had ended: The authority for revocation of probation is found in K.S.A. 22-3716 where it is provided that revocation proceedings may be initiated `[a]t any time during probation.' K.S.A. 22-3716(1). `During probation' plainly speaks of that time which is within and prior to the expiration of the term of probation. Here, probation expired on October 6, 1988. The order to show cause did not issue until three weeks after the expiration of probation. Because this was not `during probation,' by operation of K.S.A. 22-3716(1) the court did not have continuing jurisdiction over Arnold. Thus, the trial court did not have authority to revoke Arnold's probation. Judge Buchele was the district judge involved in Arnold, and Margaret Lutes was one of the attorneys for the State in Arnold. Both Judge Buchele and Lutes testified at the March 5, 1990, House Judiciary Committee meeting. The minutes from that meeting contain the following references to the bill: HEARING ON HB 2752 Court allowed 30 days to issue warrant for arrest of defendant who did not meet conditions of probation. Judge James Buchele informed the Committee HB 2752 would amend the statute to allow the court and/or court services a period of time following probation in which to file a motion to terminate. The bill as drafted set 30 days for the period of time. He recommended a 60 day period of time. Margaret Lutes, Assistant Shawnee District Attorney, testified in support of HB 2752. There being no other conferees, the hearing on HB 2752 was closed. The plain language of K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716(d) grants the court 30 days following the date probation ended to issue a warrant for the arrest or notice to appear for the defendant to answer a charge of a violation of the conditions of probation. The Arnold decision and the testimony of Judge Buchele concerning the 30-day period strongly suggest that the legislature was concerned that defendants serving their last days of probation would have less of an incentive to strictly follow their probation rules knowing that any violations would require the preparation and filing of documents with the court before the termination of the probation period. When this concern is considered with the plain language of K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716(d), it becomes clear that the legislature intended by its language to grant the court an additional 30 days after probation ended to initiate probation revocations proceedings based upon violations of conditions occurring within the probationary period. The Court of Appeals in this case relied upon our recent decision in State v. Ferguson, 271 Kan. 613, in concluding that the 30-day window in K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716(d) required proceedings for revocation to be filed within the probationary period and granted 30 days after the termination of the probationary period to cause the defendant to appear for a hearing. Gordon, 30 Kan. App. 2d at 856. We note that Ferguson did not involve an interpretation of K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716. Ferguson does not mention K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716. Instead, Ferguson was concerned with the interpretation of K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 21-4611(c)(3) and (d). The defendant in Ferguson claimed that the retroactivity provision of K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 21-4611(d) automatically reduced her 24 months' probation to 12 months. Thus, when the court extended her probation, it did so after her 12 months' probation had expired and therefore beyond its jurisdiction. Ferguson held that the defendant's probation was not automatically reduced to 12 months under the statute but would be modified only after a court hearing. 271 Kan. at 617. The extension of her probation occurred during her 24 months' probationary term and was clearly within the jurisdiction of the district court. It was within the above context that we said: [A] trial court has jurisdiction to revoke probation as long as the proceedings are started before expiration of the probation term. 271 Kan. at 617 (citing State v. Williams, 20 Kan. App. 2d 142, Syl. ¶ 1, 20 P.3d 99 [2001]). In Williams, the motion for revocation of the defendant's probation and order to show cause were filed after 5 p.m. on the day the defendant's probation was scheduled to end. The court rejected the argument that the motion and order filed after 5 p.m. were untimely. 20 Kan. App. 2d at 148. Thus, in both Ferguson and Williams, the motions for revocation were filed within the probationary term and there was no need to address the provisions of K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716(d). Since neither Ferguson nor Williams involved an interpretation of K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716(d), our statement in Ferguson that it is well established in Kansas that a trial court has jurisdiction to revoke probation as long as the proceedings are started before expiration of the probation term, 271 Kan. at 617, is dicta only. Prior to the enactment of K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716(d), in Kansas, probation revocation proceedings had to be initiated within the probation period. However, as discussed above, the plain language of K.S.A. 2002 Supp. 22-3716(d) changes Kansas law and grants the court . . . 30 days following the date probation . . . was to end to issue a warrant for the arrest or notice to appear for the defendant to answer a charge of a violation of the conditions of probation. . . . In this case, the motion for revocation was filed within that 30-day window. The subsequent revocation and extension of probation for Gordon was within the jurisdiction of the district court. Thus, the final extension of his probation until such time as the restitution was paid in full was within the jurisdiction of the district court.