Ouk v. State

After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of two counts of first-degree felony murder and two counts of attempted first-degree felony murder. Appellant was fifteen years old at the time of the murders. The district court imposed two mandatory sentences of life imprisonment with the possibility of release after thirty years for the murder convictions and ordered Defendant’s sentences to be served consecutively. The Supreme Court affirmed on direct appeal. Appellant later moved to correct his sentences, asserting that his sentences were void because the juvenile court failed to follow the proper adult-certification procedures before referring him to adult court. Construing Appellant’s motion to correct his sentence as a petition for postconviction relief, the postconviction court summarily denied relief, concluding that Appellant’s petition was procedurally barred under the Knaffla rule. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the postconviction court (1) did not err by construing Appellant’s motion to correct his sentence as a petition for postconviction relief; and (2) did not abuse its discretion by summarily dying relief because Appellant’s postconviction petition was procedurally barred. View "Ouk v. State" on Justia Law