Opinion ID: 2630897
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: multiplicitous convictions

Text: Next, Colston claims that his conviction of aggravated indecent liberties with a child should be vacated because it is a lesser included offense of rape when both offenses are charged under K.S.A. 21-4643. Colston does not argue that the trial court should have given the jury a lesser included offense instruction. Instead he argues on appeal that rape and aggravated indecent liberties with a child are multiplicitous when both offenses are charged under the same statute. Colston did not raise this issue at trial, but this court may consider a multiplicity issue for the first time on appeal to serve the ends of justice or prevent a denial of fundamental rights. State v. Simmons, 282 Kan. 728, 743, 148 P.3d 525 (2006). The issue of multiplicity is a question of law and this court's review is unlimited. State v. McCarley, 287 Kan. 167, 177, 195 P.3d 230 (2008). Multiplicity is the charging of a single offense in several counts of a complaint or information. The principal danger of multiplicity is that it creates the potential for multiple punishments for a single offense, which is prohibited by the Double Jeopardy Clauses of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution and § 10 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights. State v. Thompson, 287 Kan. 238, 244, 200 P.3d 22 (2009). In Schoonover , this court announced an analytical framework for determining whether multiple convictions subject a defendant to double jeopardy. The overarching inquiry is whether the convictions are for the same offense. This inquiry is divided into two components, both of which must be met for there to be a double jeopardy violation: (1) Do the convictions arise from the same conduct? (2) If so, by statutory definition, are there two offenses or only one? 281 Kan. at 496, 133 P.3d 48. Because both components must be met for there to be a double jeopardy violation, we choose to analyze Colston's multiplicity argument by proceeding directly to the second component. Assuming for the sake of argument that Colston's convictions of rape and aggravated indecent liberties with a child arose from the same conduct, the second inquiry is to determine by statutory definition whether there are two offenses or only one. The answer to this inquiry depends on whether the convictions arose from a single statute or multiple statutes. If the convictions arose from a single statute, the unit of prosecution test is applied, i.e., did the legislature intend to allow more than one unit of prosecution under the statute? If the convictions arose from multiple statutes, the strict elements test is applied, i.e., does one statute require proof of an element not necessary to prove the other offense? 281 Kan. at 497-98, 133 P.3d 48. Colston argues that his convictions of both rape and aggravated indecent liberties with a child arose from K.S.A. 21-4643. But this court has rejected the premise that K.S.A. 21-4643 is a crime-defining statute. See State v. Bello, 289 Kan. 191, 197-98, 211 P.3d 139 (2009); State v. Gonzales, 289 Kan. 351, 367, 212 P.3d 215 (2009). Instead, K.S.A. 21-4643 is the sentencing statute for certain sex offenses, including rape of a child under 14 and aggravated indecent liberties with a child under 14. Here, Colston was charged with rape under K.S.A. 21-3502(a)(2) and with aggravated indecent liberties of a child under K.S.A. 21-3504(a)(3)(A). Because Colston was charged under multiple statutes, the strict elements test is the only test that can be used to determine multiplicity. Schoonover, 281 Kan. at 498, 133 P.3d 48. The crimes of rape and aggravated indecent liberties with a child do not have an identity of elements. Rape requires sexual intercourse. Aggravated indecent liberties consists of lewd fondling or touching done with the intent to arouse or to satisfy the sexual desires of the offender, the child, or both. Aggravated indecent liberties does not require sexual intercourse, and rape does not require the specific intent to arouse or to satisfy the sexual desires of one of the parties. See State v. Hill, 271 Kan. 929, 941, 26 P.3d 1267 (2001) (rape and aggravated indecent liberties not multiplicitous under strict elements test); State v. Belcher, 269 Kan. 2, 8, 4 P.3d 1137 (2000) (aggravated indecent liberties not lesser included offense of rape under strict elements test). Because the crimes do not contain an identity of elements, Colston's convictions of rape and aggravated indecent liberties with a child are not multiplicitous.