State v. Duncan

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Biles, J.:

Isaac Duncan seeks review of a Court of Appeals decision affirming his upward durational departure sentence ordered after a plea agreement. He argues the departure sentence is illegal because the trial court did not empanel a jury to determine whether aggravating factors existed to justify the upward departure as required by K.S.A. 21-4718 and Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 490, 147 L. Ed. 2d 435, 120 S. Ct. 2348 (2000). The issue is whether Duncan waived the right to have a jury make this de termination. The Court of Appeals held…