Johnson County judge to sit with state Supreme Court for five cases

Johnson County District Court Judge Gerald Elliott will sit with the state Supreme Court April 29 to hear oral arguments in five cases.

After hearing oral arguments, he will join the Supreme Court justices in their deliberations and opinion drafting.

All Supreme Court oral arguments are webcast live through the Watch Supreme Court Live link in the right-hand column of the Kansas Judicial Branch website at www.kscourts.org.

One of the five cases originated in Wyandotte County. Keaira Brown, also known as Keaire Brown, appeals her conviction of felony murder and attempted aggravated robbery. She was sentenced to a hard-20 term.

Issues are whether the district court erred instructing the jury that it could convict Brown of felony murder if it found, beyond a reasonable doubt, that she had killed the victim in “flight from attempting to commit aggravated robbery.” Also, whether both convictions must be vacated on alternative means grounds, whether the district court erred authorizing adult prosecution, and whether the prosecutor committed misconduct during her closing argument. Also, whether the Kansas sentencing scheme that requires a district court to sentence a juvenile to life in prison without possibility of parole for 20 years, and gives a judge no discretion to depart, is unconstitutional.

 

KCK man charged with child abuse

DeAndrea J. Goodwin

DeAndrea J. Goodwin, 21, of Kansas City, Kan., was charged with one count of child abuse, a level 5 person felony.

The charge was filed in connection with an April 6 incident that occurred in the 600 block of South 71st Terrace in Kansas City, Kan., according to the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s office.

A 1-year old child was injured and later died, as a result of the incident, according to the prosecutor’s office.  Goodwin is currently being held in the Wyandotte County Jail. Bond was set at $150,000.

The case remains under investigation by the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department.

Supreme Court reverses Wyandotte County conviction

The Kansas Supreme Court today reversed a Wyandotte County defendant’s conviction for aggravated indecent liberties with a child and remanded the case to the district court for a new trial.

Jose Santos-Vega had been convicted on two sex offenses involving a child in 2008, and received hard 25 sentences under Jessica’s Law.

A jury acquitted him of two counts of rape of a 15-year-old, but he was convicted on two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with an 11-year-old child.

Today the Supreme Court ruled Santos-Vega’s right to a fair trial was substantially prejudiced by a combination of trial errors. The district court did not instruct the jury that it had to unanimously agree on the specific act underlying each of the convictions; and a testifying detective violated a court order by telling the jury Santos-Vega had invoked his right to remain silent during questioning, the Supreme Court ruling stated.

The court held the state failed to demonstrate the errors did not contribute to the guilty verdicts.