[As Amended by House Committee of the
Whole]
Session of 1997
HOUSE BILL No. 2463
By Representatives Mays, Aurand, Ballou, Beggs, Boston,
Campbell,
Compton,
Cox, Dahl, Donovan, Dreher, Edmonds, Empson, Flower,
Freeborn,
Hayzlett, Horst, Howell, Huff, Humerickhouse, Hutchins,
Jennison,
Phill Kline, Landwehr, Lane, Lloyd, Mason, McCreary, Mol-
lenkamp,
Morrison, Myers, Neufeld, O'Neal, Packer, Palmer, Powell,
Powers,
Ray, Schwartz, Shallenburger, Shore, Shultz, Stone, Tanner,
Toplikar,
Vickrey, Vining, Wagle, Weber and Wilson
2-14
16
AN ACT concerning crimes
and[,] punishment [and criminal
proce-
17 dure]; relating
to capital murder; [execution of death sentences;]
18 [mitigating
circumstances;] amending K.S.A. 21-3439[, 21-4626,
19 22-4001, 22-4003,
22-4006, 22-4009, 22-4011, 22-4012, 22-4013
20 and 22-4014]
and repealing the existing section
[sections].
21
22 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the
State of Kansas:
23 [New Section 1. (a) If,
under K.S.A. 21-4624 and amendments
24 thereto, the county or district attorney
has filed a notice of intent
25 to request a separate sentencing
proceeding to determine whether
26 the defendant should be sentenced to
death, at a hearing, the court
27 shall determine whether imprisonment for
life, pursuant to K.S.A.
28 21-4638 and amendments thereto, is
sufficient to defend and pro-
29 tect the people's safety from the
defendant. If the court so deter-
30 mines, the defendant, if convicted of
the crime of capital murder,
31 shall be sentenced pursuant to K.S.A.
21-4638 and amendments
32 thereto, and no sentence of death shall
be imposed.
33 [(b) This section
shall be part of and supplemental to the Kan-
34 sas criminal code.]
35
Section 1. [2.] K.S.A. 21-3439 is
hereby amended to read as follows:
36 21-3439. (a) Capital murder is the:
37 (1) Intentional and
premeditated killing of any person in the com-
38 mission of kidnapping, as defined in K.S.A.
21-3420 and amendments
39 thereto, or aggravated kidnapping, as
defined in K.S.A. 21-3421 and
40 amendments thereto, when the kidnapping or
aggravated kidnapping was
41 committed with the intent to hold such
person for ransom;
42 (2) intentional and
premeditated killing of any person pursuant to a
43 contract or agreement to kill such person
or being a party to the contract
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1 or agreement pursuant to which such
person is killed;
2 (3) intentional
and premeditated killing of any person by an inmate
3 or prisoner confined in a state
correctional institution, community cor-
4 rectional institution or jail or
while in the custody of an officer or em-
5 ployee of a state correctional
institution, community correctional insti-
6 tution or jail;
7 (4) intentional
and premeditated killing of the victim of one of the
8 following crimes in the commission
of, or subsequent to, such crime:
9 Rape, as defined in K.S.A. 21-3502
and amendments thereto, criminal
10 sodomy, as defined in subsections (a)(2) or
(a)(3) of K.S.A. 21-3505 and
11 amendments thereto or aggravated criminal
sodomy, as defined in K.S.A.
12 21-3506 and amendments thereto, or any
attempt thereof, as defined in
13 K.S.A. 21-3301 and amendments thereto;
14 (5) intentional and
premeditated killing of a law enforcement officer,
15 as defined in K.S.A. 21-3110 and amendments
thereto;
16 (6) intentional and
premeditated killing of more than one person as
17 a part of the same act or transaction or in
two or more acts or transactions
18 connected together or constituting parts of
a common scheme or course
19 of conduct; or
20 (7) intentional and
premeditated killing of a child under the age of
21 14 in the commission of kidnapping,
as defined in K.S.A. 21-3420 and
22 amendments thereto, or aggravated
kidnapping, as defined in K.S.A.
23 21-3421 and amendments thereto,
when the kidnapping or aggravated
24 kidnapping was committed with
intent to commit a sex offense upon or
25 with the child or with intent that
the child commit or submit to a sex
26 offense.
27 (b) For purposes
of this section, ``sex offense'' means rape, as
defined
28 in K.S.A. 21-3502 and amendments
thereto, aggravated indecent liberties
29 with a child, as defined in K.S.A.
21-3504 and amendments thereto, ag-
30 gravated criminal sodomy, as
defined in K.S.A. 21-3506 and amendments
31 thereto, prostitution, as defined
in K.S.A. 21-3512 and amendments
32 thereto, promoting prostitution, as
defined in K.S.A. 21-3513 and amend-
33 ments thereto or sexual
exploitation of a child, as defined in K.S.A. 21-
34 3516 and amendments
thereto.
35 (c)
(b) Capital murder is an off-grid person felony.
36 (d)
(c) This section shall be part of and supplemental to
the Kansas
37 criminal code.
38 [Sec. 3. K.S.A. 22-4001
is hereby amended to read as follows:
39 22-4001. (a) Subject to the provisions
of this act, the mode of car-
40 rying out a sentence of death in this
state shall be by intravenous
41 injection of a substance or substances
in a quantity sufficient to
42 cause death in a swift and humane
manner.
43 [(b) The secretary of
corrections shall supervise the carrying
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1 out of each sentence of death and
shall determine the procedures
2 therefor, which shall be
consistent with this act and the other laws
3 of the state. The secretary of
corrections shall designate one or
4 more executioners and other
persons necessary to assist in carry-
5 ing out the sentence of death as
provided in this section. The iden-
6 tity of executioners and other
persons designated to assist in carrying out
7 the sentence of death shall be
confidential.
8 [(c) In order
to provide the secretary of corrections with assist-
9 ance in selecting the type of
substance or substances to be admin-
10 istered in carrying out a sentence of
death by intravenous injection
11 in a swift and humane manner, the
secretary shall appoint a panel
12 of three persons to advise the
secretary, one of whom shall be a
13 pharmacologist, one of whom shall be a
toxicologist and one of
14 whom shall be an anesthesiologist. The
panel shall also advise the
15 secretary of corrections concerning
matters related to K.S.A. 22-
16 4015 and amendments
thereto. The panel shall meet upon the call of
17 the secretary and, for the performance
of their official duties,
18 panel members shall be paid
compensation, subsistence allow-
19 ances, mileage and other expenses as
provided in K.S.A. 75-3223
20 and amendments thereto.
21 [(d) The secretary of
corrections may designate in writing a
22 warden of one of the correctional
institutions under the secretary's
23 supervision to perform the duties
imposed upon the secretary by
24 this section and by K.S.A. 22-4002,
22-4003, 22-4013 and 22-4014,
25 and amendments thereto.
26 [Sec. 4. K.S.A.
22-4003 is hereby amended to read as follows:
27 22-4003. Besides the secretary of
corrections or the warden des-
28 ignated by the secretary, the
executioner and persons designated
29 pursuant to K.S.A. 22-4001 and
amendments thereto to assist in
30 the execution, the following persons,
and no others, may be pres-
31 ent at the execution: The member of the
clergy attending the pris-
32 oner, not more than three persons
designated by the prisoner and
33 not more than six persons designated by
the secretary of correc-
34 tions. The identity of persons
present at the execution, other than the
35 secretary or the warden designated by
the secretary, shall be confidential.
36 A witness may elect to reveal such
witness's identity.
37 [Sec. 5. K.S.A.
22-4006 is hereby amended to read as follows:
38 22-4006. (a) At any time prior to
execution, a convict under sen-
39 tence of death, such convict's counsel
or the warden of the cor-
40 rectional institution or sheriff having
custody of such convict may
41 request a determination of the convict's
sanity by a district judge
42 of the judicial district in which such
convict was tried and sen-
43 tenced. If the district judge determines
that there is not sufficient
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1 reason to believe that the convict
is insane, the judge shall so find
2 and refuse to suspend the
execution of such convict. If the district
3 judge determines that there is
sufficient reason to believe that the
4 convict is insane, the judge shall
suspend the execution and con-
5 duct a hearing to determine the
sanity of the convict.
6 [(b) At the
hearing, the district judge shall determine the issue
7 of the convict's sanity. The judge
shall order a psychiatric or psy-
8 chological examination of the
convict. For that purpose, the court
9 shall appoint two licensed
physicians or licensed psychologists, or
10 one of each, qualified by training and
practice to make such ex-
11 amination, to examine the convict and
report their findings in writ-
12 ing to the judge within 10 days after
the order of examination is
13 issued. The convict shall have the right
to present evidence and
14 cross-examine any witnesses at the
hearing. No statement made by
15 the convict in the course of any
examination provided for by this
16 section, whether or not the convict
consents to the examination,
17 shall be admitted in evidence against
the convict in any criminal
18 proceeding.
19 [(c) If, at the
conclusion of a hearing pursuant to this section,
20 the judge determines that the convict is
sane, the judge shall enter
21 an order setting a date for
the convict's execution, which shall be carried
22 into effect in the same manner as
provided in the original sentence me-
23 morializing the determination. A
copy of the order shall be sent by
24 mail to delivered to
the clerk of the supreme court and the secretary of
25 corrections. Upon receipt of the
order, the supreme court shall forthwith
26 issue to the secretary of corrections a
warrant under seal of the supreme
27 court, commanding the secretary or a
warden designated pursuant to
28 K.S.A. 22-4001 and amendments thereto to
proceed to carry out the sen-
29 tence of execution during the week
designated by the supreme court. A
30 copy of the warrant shall be delivered
to the secretary of corrections and
31 the clerk of the district court.
32 [(d) If, at the
conclusion of a hearing pursuant to this section,
33 the judge determines that the convict is
insane, the judge shall
34 suspend the execution until further
order. The judge shall enter an
35 order memorializing the determination. A
copy of the order shall be de-
36 livered to the clerk of the supreme
court and the secretary of corrections.
37 Upon receipt of the order, the supreme
court shall forthwith issue to the
38 secretary of corrections a warrant under
seal of the supreme court sus-
39 pending the sentence. A copy of the
warrant shall be delivered to the
40 secretary of corrections and the clerk
of the district court. Any time
41 thereafter when the judge has sufficient
reason to believe that the
42 convict has become sane, the judge shall
again determine the san-
43 ity of the convict as provided by this
section. Proceedings pursuant
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1 to this section may continue to be
held at such times as the district
2 judge orders until it is either
determined that such convict is sane
3 or incurably insane.
4
[Sec. 6. K.S.A. 22-4009 is hereby amended to read as
follows:
5 22-4009. (a) If a convict under
sentence of death appears to be
6 pregnant or alleges to be
pregnant, the person having custody of
7 the convict shall notify the
secretary of corrections. The secretary
8 shall designate one or more
licensed physicians to examine the
9 convict to determine if the
convict is pregnant. If the convict is not
10 pregnant, the execution shall be carried
out as previously ordered. If the
11 convict is pregnant, the secretary of
corrections shall notify the
12 administrative judge of the
judicial district where the conviction was ren-
13 dered and the execution of the
sentence of death shall be postponed. If
14 the convict is not pregnant, the
execution shall be carried out as previously
15 ordered. clerk of the
supreme court. Upon receipt of the notice, the su-
16 preme court shall forthwith issue to the
secretary of corrections a warrant
17 under seal of the supreme court
postponing the execution of the sentence
18 of death. A copy of the warrant shall be
delivered to the secretary of
19 corrections and the clerk of the
district court.
20 [(b) When the
execution of a sentence of death is postponed
21 because of pregnancy, the
judge secretary of corrections shall
wait
22 until the child is born or the pregnancy
is otherwise terminated
23 and then the judge
secretary shall fix the date for the
execution notify
24 the clerk of the supreme court of the
birth of the child or termination of
25 the pregnancy. Upon receipt of the
notice, the supreme court shall forth-
26 with issue to the secretary of
corrections a warrant under seal of the
27 supreme court, commanding the secretary
or a warden designated pur-
28 suant to K.S.A. 22-4001 and amendments
thereto to proceed to carry out
29 the sentence of execution during the
week designated by the supreme
30 court. A copy of the warrant shall be
delivered to the secretary of correc-
31 tions and the clerk of the district
court. At any time during the post-
32 ponement of the execution, the
judge secretary may order an ex-
33 amination as provided in this section to
determine whether the
34 convict remains pregnant. The costs of
each medical examination
35 conducted pursuant to this section shall
be paid by the county
36 where the case originated.
37 [Sec. 7. K.S.A.
22-4011 is hereby amended to read as follows:
38 22-4011. If any person who has been
sentenced to death escapes
39 and is not retaken before the time fixed
for execution, it shall be
40 lawful for any sheriff or other officer
or person to rearrest and
41 return the person to the custody of the
secretary of corrections.
42 Upon such return to custody, the
secretary of corrections shall give
43 notice thereof to the
governor clerk of the supreme court.
Upon receipt
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1 of such notice, the
governor shall issue a warrant fixing and
appointing
2 a day for the
execution, supreme court shall forthwith issue to the
secre-
3 tary of corrections a warrant
under seal of the supreme court, command-
4 ing the secretary or a warden
designated pursuant to K.S.A. 22-4001 and
5 amendments thereto to proceed to
carry out the sentence of execution
6 during the week designated by the
supreme court which shall be carried
7 into effect in the same manner as
provided by statute for the ex-
8 ecution of an original sentence of
death. A copy of the warrant shall
9 be delivered to the secretary of
corrections and the clerk of the district
10 court.
11 [Sec. 8. K.S.A.
22-4012 is hereby amended to read as follows:
12 22-4012. Whenever any person has been
sentenced to death, it
13 shall be the duty of the clerk of the
court before which the con-
14 viction was rendered to issue
a warrant an order, under the seal
of
15 the court, which shall recite the
conviction and sentence and be
16 directed to the secretary of
corrections. The clerk shall deliver the
17 warrant order to
the sheriff of the county in which the conviction
18 was rendered, and such sheriff shall
promptly transport such con-
19 victed person to the state correctional
institution designated by
20 the secretary of corrections and deliver
such convict, together with
21 the warrant
order, into the custody of the warden of the
designated
22 institution, who shall receive and
safely keep such convict until the
23 time of execution, or until otherwise
ordered by the secretary or
24 other competent authority. The warden
shall notify the secretary
25 of corrections of the receipt of the
convict and warrant order.
26 [Sec. 9. K.S.A.
22-4013 is hereby amended to read as follows:
27 22-4013. (a) It shall be
the duty of the secretary of corrections or
28 the warden designated by the secretary
to proceed at the time fixed
29 in accordance with law
to execute a sentence of death during the week
30 designated for the execution in
the manner prescribed by this act. The
31 secretary of corrections may carry out
the execution of the sentence of
32 death at any time during the week
designated for the execution as pro-
33 vided by this section. For purposes of
this act, the term ``week'' shall mean
34 the time period from 12:01 a.m. Sunday
through and including 11:59 p.m.
35 the following Saturday. If the week
designated in the warrant command-
36 ing the execution of a death sentence
begins on a day of the week other
37 than a Sunday, or sets out a particular
date for the execution, the secretary
38 of corrections shall notify the clerk of
the supreme court. Upon receipt of
39 the order, the supreme court shall
forthwith issue to the secretary of cor-
40 rections a warrant under seal of the
supreme court, commanding the
41 secretary or a warden designated
pursuant to K.S.A. 22-4001 and amend-
42 ments thereto to proceed to carry out
the sentence of execution during the
43 week designated by the supreme court. A
copy of the warrant shall be
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1 delivered to the secretary of
corrections and the clerk of the district court.
2
[(b) The secretary of corrections shall carry out
the execution com-
3 manded by the warrant issued by
the supreme court during the week
4 designated by the supreme court on
a date selected by the secretary. Pro-
5 vided, however, the secretary
shall give notice of the date selected by the
6 secretary for the execution at
least seven calendar days before the exe-
7 cution to the clerk of the supreme
court, the clerk of the district court in
8 which the defendant was convicted,
the defendant, the defendant's counsel
9 and the attorney general. The
secretary may carry out the execution at
10 any time during the date selected or as
soon thereafter as the secretary
11 deems appropriate.
12 [Sec. 10. K.S.A.
22-4014 is hereby amended to read as follows:
13 22-4014. If the supreme court orders a
suspension of the execution
14 of a sentence of death, the suspension
shall continue until the pro-
15 ceedings are determined. If, after
determining the same, the sen-
16 tence is affirmed, the supreme court
shall order the execution of
17 the sentence of death and shall
designate a day therefor week
during
18 which the sentence of execution shall be
carried out. It shall be the duty
19 of the clerk of the supreme court to
issue to the secretary of cor-
20 rections a warrant under the seal of the
court, commanding the
21 secretary or a warden designated
pursuant to K.S.A. 22-4001 and
22 amendments thereto to proceed to carry
the sentence into exe-
23 cution at the time
appointed during the week designated by the
court,
24 which time. The week
during which the sentence of execution is to be
25 carried out shall be stated in
the warrant. Upon receipt of the war-
26 rant it shall be the duty of the
secretary of corrections to cause the
27 sentence to be executed as provided by
this act at during the time
28 designated by the court.]
29 [Sec. 11. K.S.A. 21-4626
is hereby amended to read as follows:
30 21-4626. Mitigating circumstances shall
include, but are not lim-
31 ited to, the following:
32 [(1) The defendant
has no significant history of prior criminal
33 activity.
34 [(2) The crime was
committed while the defendant was under
35 the influence of extreme mental or
emotional disturbances.
36 [(3) The victim was a
participant in or consented to the de-
37 fendant's conduct.
38 [(4) The defendant
was an accomplice in the crime committed
39 by another person, and the defendant's
participation was relatively
40 minor.
41 [(5) The defendant
acted under extreme distress or under the
42 substantial domination of another
person.
43 [(6) The capacity of
the defendant to appreciate the criminality
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1 of the defendant's conduct or to
conform the defendant's conduct
2 to the requirements of law was
substantially impaired.
3 [(7) The age of
the defendant at the time of the crime.
4 [(8) At the
time of the crime, the defendant was suffering from
5 post-traumatic stress syndrome
caused by violence or abuse by the
6 victim.
7 [(9) A
term of imprisonment is sufficient to defend and protect
the
8 people's safety from the
defendant.]
9
Sec. 2. [12.] K.S.A. 21-3439
is[, 21-4626, 22-4001, 22-4003, 22-
10 4006, 22-4009, 22-4011, 22-4012, 22-4013
and 22-4014 are] hereby
11 repealed.
12 Sec. 3.
[13.] This act shall take effect and be in force from
and after
13 its publication in the statute book.
14
15