TOPEKA – Gov. Sam Brownback has called a special session of the legislature on Sept. 3. Attorney General Derek Schmidt formally requested the special session to make fixes to the Kansas law regarding the “Hard 50” sentence. The law was approved in 1999 as an alternative to the death penalty, which Kansas didn’t have at the time. The Hard 50 means inmates must at least 50 years before they can be considered for parole.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned a similar virginia sentencing law and shortly afterwards, ordered the Kansas Supreme Court to rehear a Hard 50 appeal in light of the Virginia case. The high court ruled that a jury, and not judges, should decide on whether to impose the Hard 50. The Kansas law gives judges the authority to impose the Hard 50. If the state waits to change the law until lawmakers convene their next annual session in January, it runs the risk of convicted killers receiving lesser sentences, Schmidt said.
Friday, July 26, 4 p.m.
