2006 Kansas Code - 21-4704

      21-4704.   Sentencing guidelines; grid for nondrug crimes; authority and responsibility of sentencing court; presumptive disposition; nongrid crime. (a) For purposes of sentencing, the following sentencing guidelines grid for nondrug crimes shall be applied in felony cases for crimes committed on or after July 1, 1993:

      (b)   The provisions of this section shall be applicable to the sentencing guidelines grid for nondrug crimes. Sentences expressed in such grid represent months of imprisonment.

      (c)   The sentencing guidelines grid is a two-dimensional crime severity and criminal history classification tool. The grid's vertical axis is the crime severity scale which classifies current crimes of conviction. The grid's horizontal axis is the criminal history scale which classifies criminal histories.

      (d)   The sentencing guidelines grid for nondrug crimes as provided in this section defines presumptive punishments for felony convictions, subject to judicial discretion to deviate for substantial and compelling reasons and impose a different sentence in recognition of aggravating and mitigating factors as provided in this act. The appropriate punishment for a felony conviction should depend on the severity of the crime of conviction when compared to all other crimes and the offender's criminal history.

      (e) (1)   The sentencing court has discretion to sentence at any place within the sentencing range. The sentencing judge shall select the center of the range in the usual case and reserve the upper and lower limits for aggravating and mitigating factors insufficient to warrant a departure.

      (2)   In presumptive imprisonment cases, the sentencing court shall pronounce the complete sentence which shall include the prison sentence, the maximum potential reduction to such sentence as a result of good time and the period of postrelease supervision at the sentencing hearing. Failure to pronounce the period of postrelease supervision shall not negate the existence of such period of postrelease supervision.

      (3)   In presumptive nonprison cases, the sentencing court shall pronounce the prison sentence as well as the duration of the nonprison sanction at the sentencing hearing.

      (f)   Each grid block states the presumptive sentencing range for an offender whose crime of conviction and criminal history place such offender in that grid block. If an offense is classified in a grid block below the dispositional line, the presumptive disposition shall be nonimprisonment. If an offense is classified in a grid block above the dispositional line, the presumptive disposition shall be imprisonment. If an offense is classified in grid blocks 5-H, 5-I or 6-G, the court may impose an optional nonprison sentence upon making the following findings on the record:

      (1)   An appropriate treatment program exists which is likely to be more effective than the presumptive prison term in reducing the risk of offender recidivism; and

      (2)   the recommended treatment program is available and the offender can be admitted to such program within a reasonable period of time; or

      (3)   the nonprison sanction will serve community safety interests by promoting offender reformation.

      Any decision made by the court regarding the imposition of an optional nonprison sentence if the offense is classified in grid blocks 5-H, 5-I or 6-G shall not be considered a departure and shall not be subject to appeal.

      (g)   The sentence for the violation of K.S.A. 21-3411, and amendments thereto, aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer or K.S.A. 21-3415, and amendments thereto, aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer and amendments thereto which places the defendant's sentence in grid block 6-H or 6-I shall be presumed imprisonment. The court may impose an optional nonprison sentence upon making a finding on the record that the nonprison sanction will serve community safety interests by promoting offender reformation. Any decision made by the court regarding the imposition of the optional nonprison sentence, if the offense is classified in grid block 6-H or 6-I, shall not be considered departure and shall not be subject to appeal.

      (h)   When a firearm is used to commit any person felony, the offender's sentence shall be presumed imprisonment. The court may impose an optional nonprison sentence upon making a finding on the record that the nonprison sanction will serve community safety interests by promoting offender reformation. Any decision made by the court regarding the imposition of the optional nonprison sentence shall not be considered a departure and shall not be subject to appeal.

      (i)   The sentence for the violation of the felony provision of K.S.A. 8-1567 and, subsection (b)(3) of K.S.A. 21-3412a, and subsections (b)(3) and (b)(4) of K.S.A. 21-3710, and amendments thereto, shall be as provided by the specific mandatory sentencing requirements of that section and shall not be subject to the provisions of this section or K.S.A. 21-4707 and amendments thereto. If because of the offender's criminal history classification the offender is subject to presumptive imprisonment or if the judge departs from a presumptive probation sentence and the offender is subject to imprisonment, the provisions of this section and K.S.A. 21-4707, and amendments thereto, shall apply and the offender shall not be subject to the mandatory sentence as provided in K.S.A. 21-3710, and amendments thereto. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other section, the term of imprisonment imposed for the violation of the felony provision of K.S.A. 8-1567, subsection (b)(3) of K.S.A. 21-3412a and subsections (b)(3) and (b)(4) of K.S.A. 21-3710, and amendments thereto shall not be served in a state facility in the custody of the secretary of corrections.

      (j) (1)   The sentence for any persistent sex offender whose current convicted crime carries a presumptive term of imprisonment shall be double the maximum duration of the presumptive imprisonment term. The sentence for any persistent sex offender whose current conviction carries a presumptive nonprison term shall be presumed imprisonment and shall be double the maximum duration of the presumptive imprisonment term.

      (2)   Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, as used in this subsection, "persistent sex offender" means a person who: (A) (i) Has been convicted in this state of a sexually violent crime, as defined in K.S.A. 22-3717 and amendments thereto; and (ii) at the time of the conviction under paragraph (A) (i) has at least one conviction for a sexually violent crime, as defined in K.S.A. 22-3717 and amendments thereto in this state or comparable felony under the laws of another state, the federal government or a foreign government; or (B) (i) has been convicted of rape, K.S.A. 21-3502, and amendments thereto; and (ii) at the time of the conviction under paragraph (B) (i) has at least one conviction for rape in this state or comparable felony under the laws of another state, the federal government or a foreign government.

      (3)   Except as provided in paragraph (2) (B), the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any person whose current convicted crime is a severity level 1 or 2 felony.

      (k)   If it is shown at sentencing that the offender committed any felony violation for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with any criminal street gang, with the specific intent to promote, further or assist in any criminal conduct by gang members, the offender's sentence shall be presumed imprisonment. Any decision made by the court regarding the imposition of the optional nonprison sentence shall not be considered a departure and shall not be subject to appeal. As used in this subsection, "criminal street gang" means any organization, association or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, having as one of its primary activities the commission of one or more person felonies or felony violations of the uniform controlled substances act, K.S.A. 65-4101 et seq., and amendments thereto, which has a common name or common identifying sign or symbol, whose members, individually or collectively engage in or have engaged in the commission, attempted commission, conspiracy to commit or solicitation of two or more person felonies or felony violations of the uniform controlled substances act, K.S.A. 65-4101 et seq., and amendments thereto, or any substantially similar offense from another jurisdiction.

      (l)   The sentence for a violation of subsection (a) of K.S.A. 21-3715 and amendments thereto when such person being sentenced has a prior conviction for a violation of subsection (a) or (b) of K.S.A. 21-3715 or 21-3716 and amendments thereto shall be presumed imprisonment.

      History:   L. 1992, ch. 239, § 4; L. 1993, ch. 291, § 254; L. 1994, ch. 341, § 1; L. 1995, ch. 251, § 3; L. 1996, ch. 258, § 10; L. 1999, ch. 164, § 17; L. 2001, ch. 186, § 2; L. 2002, ch. 10, § 1; L. 2004, ch. 175, § 3; July 1.