Opinion ID: 1199633
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Porter's Plea Bargain

Text: Stephens contends the district attorney's office acted with undue partiality and prejudice by refusing to offer him a plea bargain and later offering one to Porter. Stephens was tried before Porter. Both were charged with identical crimes. Porter pled to second-degree murder and will serve about half the time that Stephens will serve. Stephens submitted a Motion for Reconsideration and Request for Ruling to the district court. The district court denied Stephens' motion. The State reasons that we have no jurisdiction to review the district court's ruling on Stephens' motion for reconsideration because the district court had no jurisdiction. The motion to reconsider was filed 13 months after Stephens was sentenced. Under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines Act, K.S.A. 21-4701 et seq., when a lawful sentence is imposed, a district court is without jurisdiction to reconsider a departure or modify the sentence, except to correct clerical errors. State v. Miller, 260 Kan. 892, Syl. ¶ 2, 926 P.2d 652 (1996); K.S.A. 21-4721(c)(1), (i). Because Stephens seeks a reduction of his sentence, the State argues he was asking for relief the district court did not have jurisdiction to give. We agree. Stephens is attempting to mount a collateral attack on his conviction and sentence. An appellate court may not review any sentence that is within the presumptive range of sentence for the crime. K.S.A. 21-4721(c)(1). Stephens' sentences were within the presumptive limits. We do not have jurisdiction to consider the plea bargain argument on direct appeal.