Advocate-Vol 8-No 1-Entire Issue (12-1985)
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‘ THE ADVOCATE Vol. 8 No. 1 A BiMonthly Publication of the DPA December,1985 THE ADvocATE FEATURES Legislat Update The 1986 General Assembly could be a very exciting session because several very important criminal justice is sues are on the agenda. However the legislature resolves these issues, they could drastically, change the practlce of criminal law. Of course, adequate funding for the public ad vocacy system is our department’s BOB CMMISAR major objective for this session, but in t1is article I would like to dis Bob Caummisar, Carter County Public cuss some of the non-budget issues. Defender Administrator, has served in that capacity since 1980. A former PFO AND OVBPCROWDING Executive Director of North Eastern Kentucky Legal Services,, he was one There is no relief in sight for the of the Services three founding’ overcrowded condition of Kentucky’s attorneys. ob is credited with first prison system and this will neces using the insanity defense in Carter sitate that the legislature consider County. The defendant, a former revising ‘Kentucky’s persistent felony Eastern State Hospital mental pa of fender statute and raising the $100 tient, having been released earlier threshold level for felony theft than his commitment expiration date, óffE"’i’iSéS over one hundred dollars. pulled up to a car in a parking lot The combination of Kentucl4r’s ex and killed the man in the car next to tremely broad persistent offender him. Bob made the jury aware of the statute which allows for incar man’s mental defect, and the defen ceration for ten years for $100 theft dant received a two year sentenc. offenses has made the largest contribution to Kentuky’s over Bob received an acquittal in a case crowded prisons. The study conducted where a son shot his father. Bob by the Urban Studies Center of the utilized a spouse-abuse relate syn University of Louisville for Ken drome defense. The man had continu- tucky’s Statistical Analysis Center on Kentucky’s persistent felony of Continued on page 40 fender population determined that 64.5% are incarcerated or property ______________________ TIPS. IN THIS ISSUE EDITORS PAGE Edward C. Monahan LEGISLATIVE UPDATE. .. .1,3,4 CrIs Purdom SUGGESTED WORK-RELEASE...... .5 CONTRIBUTING EDITORS WE S REVIEW. 7-1 0 Linda K. West Kentucky Supreme Court...... .7-10 West’s Review McGeehee Isaacs Brayv.Commonwealth .7 Post-Conviction v.Commonwealth..........7Gray Kevin M. McNally v. JordanCommonwealth.. 8 The Death Penalty v.Commonwealth.... Roney... .8 Gayla Peach Busseyv.Commonwealth........8 Protection & Advocacy Commonwealth v.Peacock.......9 J. Vincent Aprile, II Commonwealthv.Steiber.......9 Ethics Commonwealthv.Thompson......9 Michael A. Wright Kentucky Court of Appeals......l0 Juvenile Law v.Commonwealth.....Fortney .10 Donna Boyce Sixth Circuit Survey Commonwealth v.Thacker.... .10 Ernie Lewis v.Commonwealth........10Basham Plain View Patricia Van Houten PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY... .. .11-12 Book Review POST-CONVICTION, LAW & COMMENT * 13-18 THE DEATH PENALTY. .. .. .... .. .. 19-21 The Advocate is a bi-monthly publication of the SIXTH CIRCUIT HIGHLIGHTS. ..... .22 Department of Public Advocacy Opinions expressed THE PLAIN VIEW .... .. .23-27 in articles are those of the authors and do not Benge v. Commonwealth. 23 necessarily represent the views of the Department. Byrd, et.al v. Commonwealth...24 Changed or incorrect address? Receiving two Youman v. Commonwealth.......,.24 copies? Let us know: Simmons v. Commonwealth.......24 State v. Jewett. ........ .25 NAME v.Commonwealth........25Maddox StatesUnited v. Lambert 26 ADDRESS v.Kimbro...............26State v.State...........26Crittenden Commonwealth v.Borges........26 v.Bertine.............27People The Advocate welcomes correspondence on subject Re Bobby, In RaymondB........27 treated in its pages. v. Nunez .. .. DeMassa.. ..... .27 v. State SuperiorCourt.......27 States v.UnitedMiller.......27 v.Snow.............27Blackburn DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADVOCACY 151 Elkhorn Court Frankfort, KY 40601 TRIAl. -Government Actions Against Office Receptionist 502-564-8006 Appellate Branch 502-5M-5234 Lawyers. * . 28-32 Investigative Branch 502-564.3765 -Forensic Science N ws........33 Post-Conviction Branch 502-564-2677 -Interview of Sexual Abuse Protection & Advocacy 502-564-2967 Victims . * . .34-36 Major Litigation Section 502-564-7391 -Cases of Note, In Brief......37-38 ‘flaming Services 502-564-5258 ibti Free Number 800 372-2988 for messages only. NO COMMENT...... .39 2 offenses. A study conducted for the Program Review Committee of the Legi t glative Research Commission on Ken tucky’s persistent felony ‘offender found that the $100 threshold for felony theft offenses is one of the lowest in the nation and is 1/3 of the national average property value for felony theft, which is $335. The legislature is faced with chang ing these two statutes or building several new prisons over the next several years. H4E INCARCERATION PAUL F. ISAACS Another legislative proposal on the agenda which is related to jail overcrowding is a bill to permit home P & A BILL OF RIGHTS incarceration in nonviolent misde meanor and possibly felony cases. The department will be working close This proposal allows a judge to sen ly with Kentuckians Together, Inc. tence a defendant to serve his term a self-advocacy consumer coalition, of incarceration within the walls of the Protection and Advocacy Advisory his home except to go to work, Board, and Parent and Consumer Net school, or church. An experimental works for a state Bill of Rights for program for misdemeanors is being persons with developmental disabili tried in Kenton County and a bill to ties in order to assure our clients expand the concept statewide will be that they will receive the services* introduced in the session. they need in order to fully par-, ticipate as citizens of our society. P1 AND JUVENILE CODE A similar bill was introduced last session and the department is com Two proposals which have already mitted to the adoption of this pro passed the General Assembly but have posal. had their effective dates delayed are expected to be considered again this SENTENCING term: decriminalization of public intoxication and the juvenile code The department intends to push for revision. Decriminalization of public legislation which returns to circuit intoxication will reduce public ad judges the power to determine whether vocacy cases to some extent, but the a person convicted of a felony com new juvenile code, if passed in sub mitted while on parole, probtiäñ, stantially the same form as earlier shock probation, conditional dis versions, would increase the c.se- charge or while awaiting trial on loads of public advocates. The another offense should serve the earlier version of the new code sentence given concurrently or con definitively established the duty of secutively. The department believes the department to represent children that the trial judges throughout the in status offense cases, in cases Commonwealth should have the ability involving dependency and neglect pe to tailor the sentence to appro titions, and in terminations of pa priately fashion a remedy in each rental rights cases. case. 3 DUI SERVICE FEES MENTAL HEALTH Another departmental proposal is to Two mental health issues which will C include the department as one of the be considered. in the next session recipients of the service fees include: the problem of getting corn imposed in the drunk driving statute. petenc,y determinations in criminal Increasingly, the department is re cases in a reasonable amount of time quired to represent indigent clients and expediting involuntary commitment under Kentucky’s new drunk driving proceedings without violating due statute because incarceration is process in order to remove indi possible for first offenses and man viduals incarcerated under mental datory for second and subsequent of inquest warrants from our jails. fenses. All other agencies which are Specific proposals are being de required to provide increased ser veloped concerning these issues and vices under this act enforcement, should be watched. jails, record keeping, treatment, and education programs are allowed to CONCLUSION receive part of the service fee. The increased demand on the department All of us who are interested in the created by this statute entitles us criminal justice system should follow to a portion of the service fee. closely the proceedings of the 1986 General Assembly. The department will VICTIM’S BILL OF RIGHTS keep you informed as these issues, and others develop during the ses The Attorney General’s office is sion. In the January edition of The working on a Victim’s Bill of Rights Advocate, we will publish an update statute. At this point, there is no on current issues in the legislature. public draft of the bill so we will have to wait to see what specific proposals the bill contains. Although PAUL F. ISAACS victims of crime should be treated PUBLIC ADVOCATE with respect and dignity in the criminal justice system, too often * * * * * * these bills have been camouflaged attempts to dilute the defendant’s rights in the name of victim’s NLADA Looks into Harrassment rights. This legislation should be of Defenders watched carefully in order to assure that it addresses only victim’s NLADA’s Defender Committee has formed rights and does not attempt to di a subcommittee to investigate cases minish the defendant’s rights. where harrassment of defense attor neys has had an impact on effective SEX OFFENDERS representation. This was in response to governmental attempts to compro During the legislative session, there mise the defense function. The sub will be some consideration of legi committee is currently putting to slation relating to the treatment of gether a fact sheet to be distributed sexual offenders. The department will to the Defender Committee. For more be closely monitoring this legis information on *NLADA’s efforts in lation to ensure that the defendant’s this area, contact: John Moran, 210 rights are protected and that any new We Illinois Street, Chicago, Illinois proposal encompasses new sentencing 60610 or call 312 670-0312.