LAW.coLAW.co

John Leonard Mize, Appellant, v. State of Kansas, Appellee

Kansas Supreme Court1967-11-13No. No. 44,811
199 Kan. 666433 P.2d 397

Summary

Holding. The trial court properly denied Mize's petition to vacate his conviction and sentence, and the judgment is affirmed.

John Leonard Mize sought to vacate his 1962 conviction and habitual criminal sentence through a post-conviction petition filed in 1965. He raised three claims: that he was denied a hearing on an alleged illegal search and seizure, that his court-appointed counsel was ineffective, and that he was improperly limited to six peremptory challenges when facing a habitual criminal sentence that could exceed fifteen years. The trial court rejected all three arguments and the appellate court affirmed.

On the search and seizure claim, the court found that Mize waived the issue by failing to object on constitutional grounds during trial, and that allowing such challenges through post-conviction proceedings would circumvent the contemporaneous objection rule designed to permit courts to correct their own errors and bring litigation to a close. Regarding counsel, the court noted that effective assistance does not require the most capable attorney, only a competent member of the bar, and that Mize's attorney was experienced in criminal law, making any tactical decisions attributable to strategy rather than incompetence. On the peremptory challenge question, the court held that the number of challenges is determined by the penalty for the offense charged in the indictment, not the potential sentence under an enhancement statute like the habitual criminal act.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Whether failure to raise search and seizure objections at trial waives the issue in post-conviction proceedings
  • Whether court-appointed counsel's failure to object constituted ineffective assistance
  • Whether peremptory challenge limits are determined by the underlying offense or by potential sentences under enhancement statutes

Procedural posture

Mize appealed from the trial court's denial of his petition under K.S.A. 60-1507 to vacate his conviction and habitual criminal sentence.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Hatcher, C.:

This was a proceeding to vacate and set aside a sentence under the provisions of K. S. A. 60-1507.

On March 8, 1962, the petitioner was convicted of burglary in the second degree as defined by G. S. 1959 Supp., 21-520 and larceny as defined by G. S. 1949, 21-524. After due notice the petitioner was sentenced under G. S. 1949, 21-107a as an habitual criminal. (Statutory designation now K. S. A.)

On May 3, 1965, petitioner filed proceedings under K. S. A. 60-1507 seeking to have his conviction and sentence vacated and set aside. The trial court held a hearing after which it filed a well prepared memorandum decision on each issue presented and denied relief.

The petitioner has appealed to this court contending that the trial court erred in its ruling in three particulars which we will proceed to consider.

The appellant first contends that the trial court erred in refusing to grant appellant a full evidentiary hearing on the question of evidence obtained by illegal search and seizure. The trial court concluded:

“The petitioner is not entitled to relief on the ground that evidence was intro duced during the course of the aforesaid criminal trial which was obtained by an allegedly unlawful search and seizure in violation of petitioner’s constitutional rights for the reason that petitioner’s failure to object to the admission of said evidence on said constitutional ground during the entire course of said criminal trial, final judgment and sentencing, constitutes a waiver and procedural bar to the raising of said right under statute and case law of the State of Kansas.”

We are forced to agree with the conclusion of the trial court. We have held in numerous cases that alleged trial errors not presented to trial court will not be reviewed on appeal. (See, Jones v. Kansas City Embalming & Casket Co., 190 Kan. 51, 372 P. 2d 60; Rexroad v. Kansas Power & Light Co., 192 Kan. 343, 388 P. 2d 832; State v. Ireton, 193 Kan. 206, 392 P. 2d 883; State v. Hill, 193 Kan. 512, 515, 394 P. 2d 106; Williams v. Crouse, 193 Kan. 526, 394 P. 2d 96, and State v. Wolfe, 194 Kan. 697, 401 P. 2d 917.)

It would serve no useful purpose to deny review on appeal because .of the contemporaneous objection rule and then permit review by the more circuitous route under K. S. A. 60-1507 proceedings. The rule is necessary if a court is to be permitted to correct its own errors and litigation is to be brought to an end. The rule serves a legitimate state purpose.

We find no merit in appellant’s suggestion that his court appointed counsel provided ineffective assistance. In Hicks v. Hand, 189 Kan. 415, 417, 369 P. 2d 250, we state:

“The guarantee of effective assistance of counsel does not guarantee the most capable or learned counsel possible, but only a competent and reputable member of the bar. (Miller v. Hudspeth, 164 Kan. 688, 192 P. 2d 147; and Trugillo v. Edmondson, 176 Kan. 195, 270 P. 2d 219.) In any event the burden is cast upon the petitioner to show that his counsel was so incompetent and inadequate in representing him that the total effect was that of a complete absence of counsel. (Miller v. Hudspeth, supra; and Converse v. Hand, 185 Kan. 112, 340 P. 2d 874.) The petitioner has not sustained this burden.”

Appellant’s attorney defending the original prosecution was an experienced attorney in criminal matters having served as assistant county attorney of Shawnee County, Kansas, and having represented numerous criminal defendants in the district court. Any action or inaction taken by him must be charged to strategy rather than ignorance of the law.

The appellant ends his alleged errors with the contention that the trial court erroneously refused to set aside the judgment and sentence for the reason he was restricted to only six peremptory challenges. Appellant makes no suggestion that the offenses for which he was tried and convicted allowed him more than six such challenges but contends that as he faced a possible sentence of not less than fifteen years under the habitual criminal act he should have been allowed eight peremptory challenges under that part of K. S. A. 62-1402 which reads:

“If the offense be punishable by like imprisonment not less than a specified number of years, and no limit to the duration of such imprisonment is declared, to the number of eight, and no more.”

We disposed of a similar question in State v. Butler, 131 Kan. 680, 293 Pac. 756, where we held:

“When the court is impaneling the jury in a felony case, the penalty for the offense charged in the indictment or information furnishes the criterion . . . for determining number of peremptory challenges.”

A careful examination of the record discloses nothing that would justify our disturbing the findings and conclusions of the trial court.

The judgment is affirmed.

APPROVED BY THE COURT.