Opinion ID: 2630419
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: proof of justifiable defense

Text: McCracken presents arguments as to why, given his version of events, he felt justified in using the force of his automobile against the victims to protect himself, his dwelling, and his property. His arguments become much less persuasive under the factual scenario that law enforcement gleaned from the victims. Under that version, the victims were invited to the premises and believed they had permission to be there; McCracken was the verbal aggressor; Parker did not physically attack McCracken or threaten him with a knife; law enforcement had no proof that a burglary had occurred; and McCracken, rather than retreating from the scene, blocked the Parker vehicle's egress from the driveway prior to ramming it. In other words, most of the evidence upon which McCracken relies was not undisputed. Further, McCracken acknowledges that justifiable defense involves both a subjective and objective element. He not only had to believe that the victims posed a threat to himself, his dwelling, or his property, but also that a reasonable person under the same circumstances would have perceived the use of force to be necessary. See State v. Walters, 284 Kan. 1, 8-9, 159 P.3d 174 (2007). McCracken attempts to establish the objective prong through a perceived presumption emanating from the Supplemental Note on H.B. 2577 (2006 session). The problem with McCracken's argument is threefold. First, the supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and expressly state that they do not express legislative intent. See footnote, Supplemental Note on H.B. 2577. Second, S.B. 366 is the basis for K.S.A. 21-3219 (L.2006, ch. 194, sec. 1); H.B. 2577 died in committee. House J.2006, p. 2478. Third, when a statute is plain and unambiguous, we do not need to resort to an examination of its legislative history. See State v. Harris, 284 Kan. 560, Syl. ¶ 5, 162 P.3d 28 (2007) (court will not consult legislative history where statutory language is clear and unambiguous as written). With respect to the defense of his person, McCracken provided no credible argument to justify his use of force against the two women; they never posed an imminent threat of unlawful force against him. Even giving credence to the evidence that Parker confronted McCracken with a knife, that threat was no longer imminent. McCracken's explanation that he had to disable Parker's vehicle to prevent the possibility that it would follow McCracken enroute to his father's home is objectively suspect. A reasonable person would not risk disabling his or her own vehicle by ramming an aggressor's vehicle if the goal was to drive away from the scene. Likewise, McCracken's reliance on K.S.A. 21-3212 is misplaced. Although any threat to the dwelling had long passed, McCracken contends that force was necessary because Parker's vehicle was blocking the driveway leading to his dwelling. The statute speaks to preventing or terminating the unlawful entry into or attack upon a person's dwelling. It does not justify force to facilitate ingress and egress to the dwelling, at least not under an objective view of these facts. Granted, the defense of property statute is more problematic. However, here, the evidence that the victims were unlawfully interfering with McCracken's property was speculative at best. Law enforcement presented no proof that the dwelling had been burglarized, nor did McCracken present evidence that items had been stolen from his home. Pointedly, he relies solely on his testimony that one of the women was carrying a large purse and a duffle-style bag. While that might provide proof of the subjective prong, it fails to satisfy the objective element. In conclusion, in finding that McCracken had failed to meet his burden of proof on the justifiable use of force, the district court did not disregard undisputed evidence. Further, there is absolutely no hint that the court relied on extrinsic considerations. To the contrary, the court thoughtfully considered the evidence presented. The district court's ruling on the petition for writ of habeas corpus is affirmed. Affirmed.