HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 30-year-old inmate of the Hutchinson Correctional Facility serving time for some very serious convictions was in court Friday morning on a charge of battery of a law enforcement officer for an incident earlier this year.
In court, Douglas Anthony Kling did something that rarely happens. He waived his right to an attorney, telling Magistrate Judge Randy McEwen that he hasn’t had good luck with attorneys and wants to represent himself for this latest charge. The judge advised him of the risk of representing himself and read through a number of things that could work against him. Kling told the judge on each one that he understood and waived his right to an attorney anyway.
The charge filed here in Reno County is a level five person felony with a maximum sentence of over 11 years in prison.
Kling is serving time for convictions in Marshall County for attempted murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and criminal threat. He also has convictions for burglary out of Nemaha County. As it stands now, he’s not even eligible for parole until November 2040.
The case against him here will now be placed on the Oct. 29 waiver-status docket in front of Judge Joe McCarville.
Because of his extended incarceration, there is no bond on the Reno County case.