State v. LunaState v. Luna
The opinion of the court was delivered by
Enrique L. Luna appeals his conviction of two counts of aggravated assault arising out of a drive-by shooting incident. Defendant’s convictions were affirmed by the Kansas Court of Appeals in
PROSECUTION AS AN ADULT
For his first issue, defendant contends the juvenile court judge erred in determining he should be tried as an adult. Prefiminarily it should be noted defendant was 17 years old at the time of the crime and was originally charged in juvenilе division of the district
In its motion to have defendant prosecuted as an adult, the State alleged:
“1. That tire Respondent, Enrique Luna, was 16 or more years of age аt the time of die offenses alleged in the complaint.
“2. That one of the alleged offenses, Criminal Discharge of a Firearm at an Occupied Vehicle, pursuant toK.S.A. 21-4219(b) , is severity level 7, person felony and die offense, Aggravated Assault, pursuant toK.S.A. 21-3410 is a severity level 7, person felony.
“3. That the alleged offenses were committed in an aggressive, violent, premeditated, or willful manner.
“4. That die alleged offenses were committed against a person and not property. “5. ThatK.S.A. 38-1636(e)(3) requires die Court to give greater weight to offenses against persons in determining whether or not prosecution as an adult should be аuthorized.
“6. That die Respondent has an extensive previous history of prior adjudications and antisocial behavior which have not been resolved through the juvenile court process, despite intervention through probation, community corrections, and juvenile correctional facility placements.
“7. That die sophistication and maturity of the Respondent merits his treatment as an adult.
“8. That because of the Respondent’s age and lengthy histoiy of previous attempts by die juvenile system to rehabilitate the Respondent dirough probation, community corrections, and youth center placements, insufficient facilities or programs are available to the Court which are likely to rehabilitate the Respondent prior to die expiration of the Court’s jurisdiction under Chapter 38 of K.S.A.
“9. That die interests of die community would be better served by a criminal prosecution.”
No record was taken of the hearing on the motion; however, the journal entry indicates Luna stipulated to the State’s allegations. Additionally, defendant’s lengthy juvenile record, starting with a knife assault at age 11, was before the court.
The standard for reviewing the certificаtion of a juvenile to be tried as an adult is whether the decision as a whole is supported by substantial competent evidence.
State v. Smith,
“(1) The seriousness of die alleged offense and whetiiеr the protection of die community requires prosecution as an adult or designating the proceeding as an extended jurisdiction juvenile prosecution; (2) whether the alleged offense was committed in an aggressive, violent, premeditated or willful manner; (3) whedier die offense was against a person or against property. Greater weight shall be given to offenses against рersons, especially if personal injury resulted; (4) the number of alleged offenses unadjudicated and pending against die respondent; (5) die previous history of the respondent, including whether the rеspondent had been adjudicated a juvenile offender under diis code and, if so, whether the offenses were against persons or property, and any other previous history of antisoсial behavior or patterns of physical violence; (6) the sophistication or maturity of die respondent as determined by consideration of the respondent’s home, environment, emоtional attitude, pattern of living or desire to be treated as an adult; (7) whether diere are facilities or programs available to the court which are likely to rehabilitate die resрondent prior to die expiration of the court’s jurisdiction under diis code; and (8) whether die interests of the respondent or of the community would be better served by criminal prosecution or extended jurisdiction juvenile prosecution.”
The Court of Appeals analyzed the issue as follows:
“Luna argues diat the juvenile court erred in determining he should be prosecuted as an adult because it failed to consider all of the statutory factors underK.S.A. 1999 Supp. 38-1636(e) in addition to his stipulation to the allegations in die State’s motion for authorization for prosecution as an adult.
“Luna relies primarily on [State v. Smith,268 Kan. 222 ,993 P.2d 1213 (1999)]. In Smith, die State’s motion for adult prosecution failed to track the statutory factors, alleging only that the juvenile was 16 years or older at die time of the offense and tiiat he was not a fit and proper subject to be dealt widi under the Juvenile Code. Thus, on apрeal, our Supreme Court held that die juvenile’s stipulation to die State’s allegations in its motion could not substitute for die juvenilejudge’s explicit consideration of all of the K.S.A. 38-1636(e) factors.268 Kan. at 246 . ‘
“The facts of this case are more analogous to those bеfore us in State v. Randolph,19 Kan. App. 2d 730 ,876 P.2d 177 , rev. denied 255 Kan. 1006 (1994), which was discussed in Smith. Randolph also involved a juvenile’s stipulation to die allegations in die State’s motion for adult prosecution. In addition, at the hearing, the court asked the prosecutor to explain the factual basis for the motion and received the following response:
‘(1) Randolph was under 18 years of age, (2) he is alleged to be a juvenile offender based on a violation ofK.S.A. 21-3301 and 21-3427, аttempted aggravated robbery, (3) he is over 16 years old but younger than 18 years old, (4) “such offenses would be felonies if committed by an adult,” and (5) Randolph’s record, the serious, violent nature of this offеnse, Randolph’s lack of amenability to programs available in juvenile court, and the safety of the community all compelled Randolph’s prosecution as an adult.’19 Kan. App. 2d at 731 .
Based on this reсitation and the stipulation, the juvenile court granted the motion. We affirmed that result, observing that the recorded response and the stipulation constituted a rough approximation’ of thеK.S.A. 38-1636(e) factors to be considered by die juvenile court.19 Kan. App. 2d at 737-38 .
“As. in Randolph, the juvenile judge considering Luna’s case had before him a rough approximation’ of theK.S.A. 38-1636(e) factors to be considered. We hold that a juvenile may stipulate to die State’s allegatiоns in a motion to certify the juvenile for prosecution as an adult, and, provided the allegations and/or the factual basis reviewed at the motion hearing constitute a rough apprоximation’ of die eight mandatory considerations listed inK.S.A. 38-1636(e) , the certification will not be overturned on appeal.
“Moreover, despite die absence of a transcript of the motion hearing, we can now say with confidence that diere was substantial evidence to support the decision to waive jurisdiction. Luna was accused of firing a gun into a car containing two people, a serious offense; it was a person felоny, done in a violent, aggressive, and willful manner. Luna had nine previous juvenile convictions, including unlawful use of a weapon and assault. His last progress report from a juvenile correctional facility had indicated that he had matured since his previous stays, but that he obviously was not rehabilitated. Given die apparent lack of success of various juvenile placements, it was in diе best interest of the community to prosecute him as an adult.”28 Kan. App. 2d at 152-53 .
We agree with and adopt the foregoing rationale of the Court of Appeals. Substantial competent evidence supports the juvenile court’s determination that defendant should be tried as an adult.
WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL
Defendant asserts that he did not knowingly or voluntarily waive
The pertinent facts may be summarized as follows. On March 2, 1999, the dаy before his jury trial was to commence, defendant appeared before the district court, requesting a waiver of trial by jury. Defendant advised the court that the decision was his choice and was not the result of pressure, promises, or threats. The court accepted the waiver. The bench trial was set for June 30, 1999. Part way through the trial on that date, the balance of the trial was continued at defense counsel’s request until August 10, 1999.
At no time before, after, or during trial did defendant seek to withdraw his waiver of trial by jury or make any complaint thereon. No issue as to the jury trial waiver appears on the docketing statement, filed February 11, 2000. The issue first appears in the defendant’s appellate brief, filed April 21, 2000.
Where constitutional grounds are asserted for the first time оn appeal, they are not properly before the appellate court for review, and the exceptions to that rule do not apply in this case. See
State v. Mason,
Defendant’s conviction is affirmed. The Court of Appeals’ opinion affirming the district court is affirmed in part and vacated in part.