Opinion ID: 2549552
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Issue 2. Was the district court's decision to try Kunellis as an adult supported by substantial evidence?

Text: Kunellis next argues the district court erred in granting the State's motion to try him as an adult. Our standard of review of this issue is whether the decision is supported by substantial evidence. State v. Medrano, 271 Kan. 504, 506, 23 P.3d 836 (2001). Substantial evidence is evidence which possesses both relevance and substance and which furnishes a substantial basis of fact from which the issues can reasonably be resolved. 271 Kan. at 507. Under this standard, we do not reweigh the evidence, substitute our evaluation of the evidence for that of the trial court, or pass upon the credibility of the witnesses. 271 Kan. at 507. K.S.A. 38-1636(e) requires the district court to consider eight different factors when determining whether prosecution of a juvenile as an adult should be authorized. Here, the court received testimony at the waiver hearings from Charlene Whitney, a court services officer with over 20 years' experience, who addressed all eight statutory factors based upon her investigation. She opined that while the planned crimes were theft and burglary, Kunellis risked the possibility of injuring or killing others when he committed these inherently dangerous felonies. Though he had no prior history of criminal adjudications, Kunellis had a history of fighting or disruptive behavior in school settings and at the juvenile detention facility, which indicated to her that he would be difficult to place and treat as a juvenile offender. Whitney also testified Kunellis considered himself a leader, had experimented with marijuana, and had associated with others who were involved in criminal acts. Since he had received counseling, lived in a group home, and received other medical treatments, he had received the full range of services available in the past. Whitney also opined that the court would have decreased control over Kunellis if it allowed out-of-state placement. She believed the treatment facilities within the State were not adequate to complete his treatment within the maximum period permitted under the Juvenile Justice Code. In addition to Whitney's testimony, the State presented related testimony from five police officers involved in the criminal investigation, as well as testimony from several other witnesses addressing the severity and nature of the crimes charged. Given our deferential standard of review, and given that Kunellis had the burden under K.S.A. 38-1636(a)(2) of proving he was amenable to treatment under the Juvenile Justice Code, we hold the district court's decision to try him as an adult was adequately supported by the evidence.