The Kansas Supreme Court today upheld a Wyandotte County District Court decision in a first-degree murder case.
Charles L. Jones appealed the denial of his motion to correct an “illegal” sentence after his conviction and sentence for first-degree murder, according to court documents.
He argued that because a competency examination was not ordered by a judge, even though there was not a request from an attorney, that his sentence was illegal.
Today the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that because his claim was procedural, not jurisdictional, he could not prevail in his claim that the sentence was illegal.
Jones was convicted as an adult at age 18, in 2000 for a murder that happened in 1998, according to court documents. Some earlier appeals of his case were denied. He had claimed that his parent was not notified of the decision to try him as an adult, court records stated.
Jones was charged in the shooting death of Robert Trzok on July 21, 1998, and he was sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole for 25 years, according to court documents.