State v. Dotson

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF KANSAS No. 125,318 STATE OF KANSAS, Appellee, v. ZSHAVON MALIK DOTSON, Appellant. SYLLABUS BY THE COURT 1. Premeditation exists when the intent to kill arises before the act takes place and is accompanied by reflection, some form of cognitive review, deliberation, or conscious pondering. Premeditation requires more than mere impulse, aim, purpose, or objective. It requires a period, however brief, of thoughtful, conscious reflection and pondering— done before the final act of killing—that is sufficient to allow the actor to change his or her mind and…