NEOSHO COUNTY — Michael Janssen of Parsons, currently jailed in Neosho County on new battery charges, was sentenced to 18 years for a July 2018 kidnapping on Tuesday morning by Judge Fred W. Johnson in Labette County District Court.
Christy Caddell, Janssen’s attorney, and Mandy Johnson, the prosecutor, had reached a plea agreement where Janssen would be sentenced to probation for the kidnapping charge. However, Janssen’s criminal history score of B surprised both the prosecution and defense. In Kansas, the sentencing guidelines law uses a defendant’s criminal past to determine the length of term he or she could serve.
Both Cadell and Johnson asked the judge to uphold the plea agreement.
Instead, Johnson sentenced Janssen to 216 months with a maximum of 15% credit (32.4 months) for good behavior.
“It would not serve the community to put him on probation,” Johnson said as he rendered the sentence. Johnson also alluded to Janssen’s newest charges as a factor in his decision.
Janssen was arrested and charged with aggravated battery in Neosho County on May 18 and has been jailed in Erie. He appeared in court on Tuesday in Neosho County black-and-white jail attire.
Caddell asked the judge for downward dispositional departure — a less severe punishment than dictated by sentencing guidelines — but Johnson denied.
Caddell had filed an objection to the pre-sentence investigation, but withdrew it on Tuesday to mitigate Janssen’s sentence before his criminal history score potentially goes up. Caddell, speaking on behalf of Janssen who struggled to speak due to health issues, cited ongoing mental issues.
Janssen also completed a treatment program.
Janssen told Caddell after he was sentenced that he wanted her to file an appeal. He has 14 days to appeal his sentence.
Janssen was also charged with rape and other several felony charges in 2018, but those charges were later dropped. At the time, the state alleged that on May 20, 2018, he battered a woman and raped her.
After serving his sentence on the kidnapping charges, Janssen will be subjected to 36 months of supervision upon release.
