WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Sentencing is delayed in Sedgwick County for a man convicted of stomping his girlfriend to death.
The delay in the sentencing for Anson Bernhardt, 42, is intended so officials can determine if the state’s “Hard 50” sentencing law can be applied.
Prosecutors are seeking the “Hard 50” sentence 50 years without parole for Bernhardt, who was convicted of first-degree murder in the September death of his girlfriend, Amber Kostner, 38.
The Wichita Eagle reports lawyers want to determine how the case is affected by a U.S. Supreme Court decision raising questions about the constitutionality of the “Hard 50.” The ruling said juries, not judges, must make findings that increase a mandatory minimum sentence.
Kansas law requires a judge to decide whether to impose the “Hard 50” sentence.
