Court Opinion

ID: 9963914
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-26 15:07:16.107727+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:25:04.127595
License: Public Domain

NOT DESIGNATED FOR PUBLICATION

                                              No. 125,866

              IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF KANSAS

                                          STATE OF KANSAS,
                                              Appellee,

                                                    v.

                                      SHANNON L. ALBRIGHT,
                                           Appellant.

                                   MEMORANDUM OPINION

        Appeal from Marion District Court; SUSAN C. ROBSON, judge. Submitted without oral argument.
Opinion filed April 26, 2024. Conviction reversed, sentence vacated, and case remanded with directions.

        Randall L. Hodgkinson, of Kansas Appellate Defender Office, for appellant.

        Steven J. Obermeier, assistant solicitor general, and Kris W. Kobach, attorney general, for
appellee.

Before WARNER, P.J., ATCHESON and BRUNS, JJ.

        PER CURIAM: A jury sitting in Marion County District Court convicted Shannon
L. Albright of criminal possession of a weapon, a felony violation of K.S.A. 21-6304.
The district court erroneously instructed the jurors they could find Albright guilty if he
"recklessly" possessed a pistol found in his grandmother's apartment where he was
temporarily residing. As a result, the State may have secured the guilty verdict on a less
rigorous form of criminal intent than the statute requires. Under the circumstances, we
cannot dismiss the error as harmless and, therefore, reverse Albright's conviction, vacate
his sentence, and remand for a new trial.

                                                    1
       Albright has raised other issues on appeal. We find them to be either moot given
the relief we have granted or without sufficient merit to warrant any additional relief.

                           FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

       After being convicted of aggravated battery, Albright was prohibited from
possessing a firearm under K.S.A. 2021 Supp. 21-6304(a)(3)(A). In early 2022, Albright
was released from prison and began serving a term of postrelease supervision on a
conviction the year before for unlawfully possessing a weapon. Upon his release,
Albright moved in with his grandmother Sonja Deist. He slept on a makeshift bed on the
floor of the living room next to his grandmother's recliner. Deist used the only bedroom
in the apartment.

       About two weeks later, Kansas Department of Corrections officers accompanied
by Marion County Sheriff's deputies appeared at the apartment to conduct a search of
Albright and the premises at the request of his parole officer. One of the law enforcement
officers found a loaded pistol in a pocket on the side of the recliner. The officers also
found a plastic box for the pistol among Albright's possessions in the bedroom closet. In
the box were photographs of Albright's dog and other items.

       When an officer removed the pistol from the recliner pocket, Albright expressed
surprise that there was a firearm in the apartment. Deist told the officers the pistol was
hers and had been given to her for self-protection sometime earlier since she lived alone.
Deist said she could not remember the name of the person who gave her the pistol. The
officers arrested Albright.

       The State charged Albright with one count of unlawful possession of a weapon,
i.e., the pistol, a severity level 8 nonperson felony violation of K.S.A. 2021 Supp. 21-
6304(a)(3)(A). The jury heard evidence in trial in early October 2022. Several of the

                                              2
officers testified about their search and the discovery of the pistol. They recounted what
Albright and Deist said at the time, and the jurors saw a bodycam video of the search.
Deist testified as a defense witness and told the jurors her daughter had given her the
pistol for protection. She said she wasn't familiar with guns and had forgotten about the
pistol. Deist told the jurors her daughter had since died. Albright also testified and
explained he had no idea his grandmother had a firearm in her home. He said she knew
he was not supposed to be around guns. And Albright testified Deist's daughter was
known to have firearms, so he was concerned Deist might have acquired some of them
after her death. The jurors found Albright guilty.

       The district court later sentenced Albright and ordered him to serve 19 months in
prison followed by postrelease supervision for 12 months, reflecting a mitigated
guidelines punishment given Albright's criminal history. Albright has appealed the
conviction on multiple grounds. In taking up those points, we augment our introductory
case history as necessary.

                                     LEGAL ANALYSIS

Jury Instructions

       We first consider Albright's challenge to the jury instructions setting out the
elements of the crime the State had to prove to convict him under K.S.A. 2021 Supp. 21-
6304(a)(3). As charged against Albright, the statute proscribes "[c]riminal possession of a
weapon" by a person who has been convicted of aggravated battery, among other serious
felonies, if "less than eight years have elapsed" since the person completed the sentence
for the underlying conviction. K.S.A. 2021 Supp. 21-6304(a)(3). Critical to Albright's
challenge and our analysis, "possession" is a defined term in the criminal code and at the
times relevant here meant "having joint or exclusive control over an item with knowledge
of or intent to have such control or knowingly keeping some item in a place where the

                                              3
person has some measure of access and right of control." K.S.A. 2021 Supp. 21-
5111(v).[1]

       [1] Effective July 1, 2022, about four months after Albright was arrested, the
Legislature amended the definition of "possession" to read: "knowingly having joint or
exclusive control over an item or knowingly keeping some item in a place where the
person has some measure of access and right of control." K.S.A. 21-5111(v). The change
removed "intent" to have control and focused the statutory language solely on
"knowingly" controlling an item consistent with the earlier requirement of having control
"with knowledge." The newer version does not apply to Albright. See State v. Armstrong,
238 Kan. 559, 566, 712 P.2d 1258 (1986). But even if it did, it would not undermine his
argument on the instructional error.

       The statutory definition of "possession" must be incorporated into K.S.A. 2021
Supp. 21-6304 to establish the elements of the crime, including the required mental state
or mens rea. The exercise demonstrates that at the time Albright was charged the State
had to prove a defendant had knowledge of or an intent to control a firearm or knowingly
kept a firearm in a place where he or she could readily get it. See State v. Rizal, 310 Kan.
199, 206-07, 445 P.3d 734 (2019) (finding "imbedded" mental state in statutory
definition of possession becomes part of required proof to convict for possession of
controlled substances).

       The Kansas criminal code also defines three "culpable mental states" that may
supply the bad intent or mens rea for convictions of crimes that require such a state of
mind. So a defendant must act "intentionally," "knowingly," or "recklessly," depending
on the statutory elements of the particular crime. K.S.A. 21-5202(a). If the statutory
elements do not set out a particular mental state, proof of any of the three will suffice to
support a conviction. K.S.A. 21-5202(e).

       Apparently without carefully considering the statutory definition of "possession,"
the district court concluded that the State could convict Albright by proving any of the
mental states, including recklessness. And the district court crafted jury instructions that

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so informed the jurors despite Albright's objection to including a definition of
"recklessly." The district court provided these two instructions to the jurors:

                                         "INSTRUCTION NO. 4
                "In Count 1, the defendant is charged with criminal possession of a weapon by a
       convicted felon. The defendant pleads not guilty.
                "To establish this charge, each of the following claims must be proved:
                "1. The defendant possessed a weapon.
                "2. The defendant within the 8 years preceding such possession has been
       convicted of a felony and cannot possess a firearm.
                "3. The defendant was not found to be in possession of a firearm at the time of
       the prior crime, and has not had the prior conviction expunged or been pardoned for such
       crime.
                "4. This act occurred on or about the 23rd day of February, 2022 in Marion
       County, Kansas.

                "'Possession' means having joint or exclusive control over an item with
       knowledge or and the intent to have such control or knowingly keeping some item in a
       place where the person has some measure of access and right of control.
                "'Weapon' means a firearm or knife."

and

                                         "INSTRUCTION NO. 6
                "The State must prove that the defendant committed the crime of criminal
       possession of a weapon by a convicted felon intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly.
                "A defendant acts intentionally when it is the defendant's conscious objective or
       desire to do the act complained about by the State.
                "A defendant acts knowingly when the defendant is aware that his conduct was
       reasonably certain to cause the result complained about by the State.
                "A defendant acts recklessly when the defendant consciously disregards a
       substantial and unjustifiable risk that certain circumstances exist."

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       On appeal, Albright has renewed his objection as to how the district court treated
the required mental states for conviction of unlawful possession of a weapon. We deploy
a multistep review and look at preservation of and jurisdiction over the claimed error,
legal suitability of the challenged instructions, factual support for the instructions, and the
prejudicial effect of any error. State v. Bentley, 317 Kan. 222, 242, 526 P.3d 1060 (2023);
State v. Blansett, 309 Kan. 401, 408, 435 P.3d 1136 (2019). Here, we may quickly
dispense with the first and third components. Albright preserved his instructional
challenge in the district court, and an otherwise appropriate instruction addressing
culpable mental state was factually proper.

       Although Instruction No. 6 accurately characterizes the three culpable mental
states, it was legally inappropriate because it permitted the jurors to convict Albright if he
recklessly possessed the pistol. The statutory definition of "possess" requires knowing
and possibly intentional control of the gun but conspicuously does not include or even
suggest recklessness. As a result, there was some tension between Instruction No. 5 with
its definition of "possession," paralleling that in K.S.A. 21-5111(v), and Instruction No. 6
with its explanation of "recklessly" as a sufficient mental state to convict. The
discordance might foster confusion. But there is a more fundamental legal defect.

       The required mental state forms a statutory element of the crime. And the State
bears the burden of proving every element of the charged crime beyond a reasonable
doubt to convict Albright or any other defendant. The obligation—with its especially
stringent standard—entails a constitutional due process protection for criminal
defendants. See In re Winship, 397 U.S. 358, 364, 90 S. Ct. 1068, 25 L. Ed. 2d 368
(1970) ("[W]e explicitly hold that the Due Process Clause protects the accused against
conviction except upon proof beyond a reasonable doubt of every fact necessary to
constitute the crime with which he is charged."); State v. Dobbs, 297 Kan. 1225, 1238,
308 P.3d 1258 (2013) (recognizing "constitutional requirement that the State prove every
element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt"). Instruction No. 6, therefore, injected a

                                              6
legal error of constitutional dimension that permitted the State to convict Albright by
proving a less demanding culpable mental state—recklessness—than criminal possession
of a weapon requires.

       We now take up the last step of our review to assess the legal import of the error.
We may find a constitutional error benefiting the State in a criminal case to be harmless
only if we are persuaded "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the mistake "did not affect the
outcome of the trial" taking account of the full trial record. State v. Ward, 292 Kan. 541,
Syl. ¶ 6, 256 P.3d 801 (2011); see Bentley, 317 Kan. at 242 (preserved instructional error
evaluated for harmlessness using Ward tests for constitutional and nonconstitutional
errors).

       The State has failed to overcome that formidable barrier. Here, if the testimony of
Albright and Deist caused the jurors to entertain a reasonable doubt that Albright actually
knew about the pistol, they should have found him not guilty under the proper culpable
mental state. But the jurors could have convicted him of "recklessly" possessing the pistol
even if they fully credited the defense testimony. The instruction outlining "recklessly"
informed the jurors that Albright would have acted in that way if he "consciously
disregard[ed] a substantial and unjustifiable risk that certain circumstances exist[ed]."
The circumstance here was the presence of the pistol in the apartment.

       Albright testified he was concerned that Deist might have acquired at least some
firearms that had belonged to her daughter, but he never inspected the apartment or took
other concrete steps to find out. Given Albright's status as a convicted felon and the
resulting prohibition on his jointly or individually possessing firearms, the jurors easily
could have concluded he disregarded a real risk there was a gun in the apartment,
prompting them to return a guilty verdict for that reason. Based on the general verdict,
the State cannot show the jurors opted for a different path to their decision, and we
cannot infer a rationale more favorable for the State from the trial record.

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       Moreover, the record, as a whole, does not present an overwhelming case against
Albright. The evidence was circumstantial. Neither Albright nor Deist ever said the pistol
belonged to him or that he even knew about it. They consistently asserted just the
opposite. No forensic evidence, e.g., fingerprints, tied Albright to the pistol. And no
witnesses ever put the pistol in Albright's hands.

       In a letter of supplemental authority, the State calls our attention to State v. May,
No. 123,622, 2023 WL 8868785 (Kan. App. 2023) (unpublished opinion), as supportive
of its position on the legally sufficient culpable mental states to prove criminal possession
of a weapon. See Supreme Court Rule 6.09 (2023 Kan. S. Ct. R. at 40) (submission of
additional authority after briefing). The May opinion does not do the work the State asks
of it. In that case, May was charged with a slew of crimes, perhaps the least serious being
a felon in possession of a firearm. May's lawyer requested—and the district court gave—
a jury instruction that included "recklessly" as one of the culpable mental states sufficient
to prove that crime.

       On appeal, May challenged the instruction as legally improper. The panel denied
the point because May's trial lawyer had invited any error by asking for the jury
instruction and, alternatively, because appellate review would be for clear error. The
panel found either basis good enough to reject the claim given the especially strong
evidence against May. 2023 WL 8868785, at *14-15. Here, of course, Albright objected
to the instruction, so there is no invited error, and we apply a more stringent standard of
review. The May panel tacitly seemed to assume recklessly might have been a legally
proper mental state under the pre-2022 statutory definition of "possession" but never
considered, let alone construed, that language. The panel had no need to do so, given how
it resolved the issue. We find no illuminating guidance there.

       In May, the panel noted that the State relied, in part, on State v. Howard, 51 Kan.
App. 2d 28, 339 P.3d 809 (2014), to support its argument about the requisite culpable

                                              8
mental state. The State has not cited Howard to us. We see why: Howard is inapposite
here, and it was in May. Howard argued the State had to prove he knew he was a
convicted felon to successfully prosecute him for unlawful possession of a firearm. The
panel rejected the argument as a misguided mistake-of-law defense. 51 Kan. App. 2d at
49. In discussing the felon-in-possession statute, the Howard panel offered that any of the
three culpable mental states would be sufficient to convict because the language did not
identify a mental state. The observation was tangential to Howard's point; and it wasn't
focused on proving the element of possession—a matter that wasn't even in front of the
court. As in May, the Howard panel never addressed the definition of "possession" in
K.S.A. 21-5111 and the imbedded mental state that definition creates in a statute
criminalizing possession of something under some circumstance, be it a firearm, a
controlled substance, or a gambling device. See Rizal, 310 Kan. at 206-07.

       In sum, we entertain a reasonable doubt that the outcome of the trial might have
been different had the jury been properly instructed on the culpable mental state required
to convict Albright of criminal possession of a weapon. We, therefore, reverse the verdict
and conviction, vacate the sentence, and remand with directions that Albright be given a
new trial.

Sufficiency of the Evidence

       Albright argues the State submitted insufficient evidence to support the criminal
possession of a weapon charge. We take up the issue because the remedy would require
us to enter a judgment of acquittal rather than ordering a new trial. See State v.
Baumgarner, 59 Kan. App. 2d 330, 331, 481 P.3d 170 (2021). In challenging the
sufficiency of the evidence, Albright faces the formidable barrier. We construe the
evidence in a light most favorable to the party prevailing in the district court, here the
State, and in support of the jury's verdict. An appellate court will neither reweigh the
evidence generally nor make credibility determinations specifically. State v. Aguirre, 313

                                              9
Kan. 189, 209, 485 P.3d 576 (2021); State v. Jenkins, 308 Kan. 545, Syl. ¶ 1, 422 P.3d 72
(2018); State v. Butler, 307 Kan. 831, 844-45, 416 P.3d 116 (2018). Even the gravest
crime may be proved by circumstantial evidence alone. State v. Douglas, 313 Kan. 704,
716, 490 P.3d 34 (2021); State v. Thach, 305 Kan. 72, 84, 378 P.3d 522 (2016). The issue
for review is simply whether rational jurors could have found the defendant guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt. Butler, 307 Kan. at 844-45; State v. McBroom, 299 Kan. 731,
754, 325 P.3d 1174 (2014). In a loose sense, we assess the record evidence on this point
just the opposite of the way we did in considering the instructional error.

       The question is one of law precisely because we resolve the evidentiary disputes in
a way favoring the State. Here, we then measure that assessment of the evidence against
what the State actually had to prove to convict—that Albright knowingly possessed the
pistol—and ask whether jurors reasonably could have convicted under that culpable
mental state.

       There was credible circumstantial evidence to support a guilty verdict, although
we wouldn't characterize the record as strong or overwhelming. First, the loaded pistol
was found in the recliner close to where Albright slept, in effect next to his bed. The box
for the pistol was among his possessions in the apartment, and the box contained personal
items of his including photographs of his dog.

       Second, without otherwise parsing the record, we point out a significant
discrepancy in Deist's explanation for the pistol being in her apartment. Deist
indisputably told the law enforcement officers at the time that an acquaintance she could
no longer recall had given her the pistol. At trial, Deist testified that her daughter had
given her the pistol. Deist's daughter was then, of course, unavailable to confirm or refute
that account. Jurors properly could weigh the rather glaring inconsistency in gauging
Deist's credibility, along with her general affection for Albright as her grandson. See
State v. Armstrong, 240 Kan. 446, 452, 731 P.3d 249 (1987) (noting impeachment of trial

                                              10
witness with prior inconsistent statements); State v. Bollig, No. 120,398, 2020 WL
3566537, at *6 (Kan. App. 2020) (unpublished opinion) (noting various factors, including
bias and prejudice, potentially diminishing witness credibility). Jurors may fairly
conclude that a witness who has been deliberately deceptive about one material fact also
will have been deceptive about other material facts. See State v. Franco, 49 Kan. App. 2d
924, 936, 319 P.3d 551 (2014) (recognizing false-in-one-false-in-all axiom regarding
credibility); see also 89 C.J.S. Trial § 742 (2024) (stating maxim: "if the jury believes
that a witness's testimony on a material issue is intentionally deceitful, the jury may
disregard all of that witness's testimony").[2]

        [2] A fact-finder's conclusion that a witness deliberately giving a false or
misleading rendition of a material circumstance has been similarly deceptive about other
circumstances reflects a proper tool in weighing credibility, along with considerations
such as self-interest, bias, prejudice, and demeanor in testifying. But the false-in-one-
false-in-all concept should not be the subject of a jury instruction under Kansas law. See
State v. Hartfield, 245 Kan. 431, 447-49, 781 P.2d 1050 (1989).

       Accordingly, the jurors reasonably could have found Deist less than credible in her
assertion that the pistol was hers and Albright knew nothing about it. We don't mean to
suggest the jurors were obligated to come to that conclusion, but they certainly could
have. If they found Deist's account generally lacking credibility, they logically would
have been similarly disposed to dismiss Albright's dovetailing denial as untruthful.

       The circumstantial evidence coupled with a credibility determination against
Albright would be sufficient to reasonably support a guilty verdict.

Motion to Suppress

       Albright filed a motion challenging the legality of the entry and search of Deist's
apartment and sought to suppress the pistol as evidence against him. The district court
held an evidentiary hearing and denied the motion. On appeal, Albright contends the

                                             11
district court got it wrong. We consider the point because a ruling in Albright's favor
would require a new trial and likely gut the State's case against him.

       We review a ruling on a motion to suppress using an established bifurcated
standard that asks whether the district court's factual findings are supported by substantial
competent evidence. If they are, we then examine the district court's legal ruling on the
motion without deference. We do not reweigh the evidence generally or make
independent credibility findings. State v. Bates, 316 Kan. 174, 183-84, 513 P.3d 483
(2022); State v. Galloway, 311 Kan. 238, 245, 459 P.3d 195 (2020). The State must prove
the lawfulness of a challenged search by a preponderance of the evidence. State v.
Patterson, 304 Kan. 272, 274, 371 P.3d 893 (2016).

       Pertinent here, under K.S.A. 22-3717(k)(2), a Department of Corrections
enforcement, apprehension, and investigations officer may search an individual on
postrelease supervision and the individual's residence and property at any time without a
warrant or suspicion.[3] The statute applied to Albright since he was on postrelease
supervision, although he has been described as being on parole. Albright has not
suggested the statute itself permits unreasonable searches that would violate the Fourth
Amendment to the United States Constitution. See State v. Toliver, 307 Kan. 945, 956-
57, 417 P.3d 253 (2018) (suggesting earlier version of K.S.A. 22-3717[k] allowing
searches without warrant or suspicion constitutionally acceptable); State v. Hinnenkamp,
57 Kan. App. 2d 1, 14, 446 P.3d 1103 (2019) (acknowledging suggestion in Toliver).

       [3] K.S.A. 22-3717(k)(2) states in relevant part:
       "Parolees and persons on postrelease supervision are, and shall agree in writing to be,
       subject to searches of the person and the person's effects, vehicle, residence and property
       by a parole officer or a department of corrections enforcement, apprehension and
       investigation officer, at any time of the day or night, with or without a search warrant and
       with or without cause."

                                                   12
       On appeal, Albright disputes that the State proved an authorized Department of
Corrections officer participated in the search. At the suppression hearing, Norman
Richardson testified he participated in the search and was then and continues to be
employed as an enforcement, apprehension, and investigation officer with the
Department of Corrections. He said he and the two other corrections officers participating
in the search are assigned from time to time to a federal fugitive task force operating
through the U.S. Marshals Service. But Richardson testified he and his colleagues were
acting in their capacities as enforcement, apprehension, and investigation officers when
they searched the apartment. During the hearing, the State also submitted a bodycam
video of the entry and search. Albright testified briefly in support of the motion.

       Albright argues that Richardson's testimony alone was insufficient, and the State
should have admitted employment records or other departmental documents showing his
precise job title or assignment. In a bench ruling, the district court implicitly credited
Richardson's testimony and found he had identified himself in the bodycam video as an
enforcement, apprehension, and investigation officer with the Department of Corrections.
That undercuts Albright's position. Richardson's testimony as to his job duties with the
Department of Corrections was sufficient and required no corroboration given the
circumstances. Moreover, under K.S.A. 22-3717(k)(2), he and the other officers were not
required to disclose to Albright their precise assignments with the Department of
Corrections as they conducted the search, although doing so seems like a sensible
practice.

       Along the same line, Albright argues the State did not produce a written agreement
in which he consented to warrantless and suspicionless searches as a condition of his
postrelease supervision. He contends the State was obligated prove such an agreement at
the suppression hearing. Again, the language of K.S.A. 22-3717(k)(2) is to the contrary.
Although individuals on postrelease supervision are to agree in writing to those searches,
the statute independently authorizes the designated government agents to conduct such

                                              13
searches. A written agreement, therefore, is not a necessary condition for a valid search
under K.S.A. 22-3717(k)(2).

       After they entered the apartment, the officers had Albright sign a form consenting
to that particular search. The State admitted the signed form at the suppression hearing. In
its ruling, the district court found the consent to be valid and denied the motion to
suppress for that reason. The district court alternatively relied on the statutory authority to
search granted in K.S.A. 22-3717(k)(2).

       On appeal, Albright contends he did not voluntarily consent to the search.
Voluntariness is ultimately determined from the totality of the circumstances relevant to
the particular encounter. The Kansas Supreme Court has identified factors to be
considered in making that determination. State v. Thompson, 284 Kan. 763, 811-13, 166
P.3d 1015 (2007). Although the district court did not offer detailed findings about the
voluntariness of the consent, we need not address Albright's argument on this ground.
The search was valid under K.S.A. 22-3717(k)(2), as the district court concluded,
whether or not Albright consented after the officers arrived at the apartment.

       The district court reached the correct conclusion in denying the motion to
suppress.

Remaining Claims on Appeal

       On appeal, Albright has raised three additional claims of error:

       • The district court should have instructed the jury on mistake of fact as a defense
based on his testimony that he did not know there was a firearm in the apartment.
Albright requested a jury instruction, and the district court declined the request. Mistake
of fact typically comes into play when a defendant acknowledges committing an act

                                              14
sufficient to satisfy the elements of the charged crime but asserts an honest mistake about
the character of the criminal act, thereby offering an explanation or excuse negating the
blameworthiness of the conduct and the requisite culpable mental state or intent. See
Rizal, 310 Kan. at 205 (outlining nature of mistake of fact defense); Com. v. Hamilton,
766 A.2d 874, 878-79 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2001); 22 C.J.S. Criminal Law: Substantive
Principles § 125 (2024). As an example, the State suggests Albright might have offered a
mistake-of-fact defense for the jury's consideration if he admitted he knew about the
pistol but believed it was a replica rather than a functioning firearm.

       • On appeal, Albright claims the district court should have given a limiting
instruction to the jury on how to consider testimony and other evidence that he was on
"parole." He says that amounted to other crimes evidence under K.S.A. 60-455. Albright
did not request a limiting instruction during the trial. His status as a convicted felon on
conditional release was relevant in explaining the circumstances surrounding the search
of the apartment. (As we have stated, Albright actually was on postrelease supervision—a
form of release technically different from parole, although it sometimes gets colloquially
lumped in with parole as the more widely known term.)

       • Albright has asserted that cumulative error during the trial deprived him of a fair
hearing. An appellate court will weigh the collective impact of trial errors and may grant
relief if their overall effect deprived the defendant of a fair proceeding even when the
errors considered individually would not necessarily have done so. State v. Harris, 310
Kan. 1026, 1041, 453 P.3d 1172 (2019); State v. Smith-Parker, 301 Kan. 132, 167-68,
340 P.3d 485 (2014). An appellate court examines the entire trial record in assessing the
prejudice multiple trial errors may have caused. 301 Kan. at 167-68. The assessment
takes account of "how the trial judge dealt with the errors as they arose; the nature and
number of errors and their interrelationship, if any; and the overall strength of the
evidence." State v. Miller, 308 Kan. 1119, 1176, 427 P.3d 907 (2018).

                                             15
       If we assume the district court erred in denying an instruction on mistake of fact
and a limiting instruction regarding Albright's postrelease status to go along with the
error in describing the culpable mental state for criminal possession of a weapon, he
would have laid a foundation for cumulative error review by citing multiple mistakes. See
State v. Leaper, 291 Kan. 89, 107, 238 P.3d 266 (2010) (cumulative error claim fails
when defendant identifies only one trial error).

       But we decline to rule on any of these three additional points on appeal because
the remedy for each would be reversal of Albright's conviction and remand to the district
court for a new trial—relief we have otherwise granted. The challenges are functionally
moot, and we would be offering what would amount to advisory rulings.

       Conviction reversed, sentence vacated, and case remanded with directions to the
district court to grant Albright a new trial.

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