State v. Scheuerman

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF KANSAS No. 122,253 STATE OF KANSAS, Appellee, v. ROBERT CASH SCHEUERMAN, Appellant. SYLLABUS BY THE COURT 1. The most fundamental rule of statutory construction is that the intent of the Legislature governs if that intent can be ascertained. This assessment begins with the plain language of the statute, giving common words their ordinary meaning. When a statute is plain and unambiguous, an appellate court should not speculate about the legislative intent behind that clear language. If a statute's language is ambiguous, a court will consult the canons of…