Court Opinion

ID: 9764057
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 03:08:45.062852+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:57:38.972566
License: Public Domain

Johnson, J.,
dissenting: Consistent with my position in State v. Reyna, 290 Kan. 666, 690, 234 P.3d 761 (2010), and State v. Garza, 290 Kan. 1021, 1036, 236 P.3d 501 (2010), I respectfully dissent on the issue of the missing element, i.e., the defendant’s age, relating to Martinez’ conviction and sentence for the off-grid offense of attempted rape.
In that regard it occurs to me that a creative prosecutor might charge a defendant with simple battery and mislabel it as an off-grid felony. Then, after the jury has convicted on the elements of the simple batteiy, the State could seek a sentence for any crime on which evidence might have been fortuitously presented at trial, such as aggravated battery, rape, sodomy, or even premeditated first-degree murder. Apparently, my colleagues would condone such a ploy.