Opinion ID: 1195082
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Failure to consider natural life sentence

Text: Defendant complains that the judge did not consider imposing a life sentence without possibility of release, yet argues that it would be inappropriate for this court to reduce his sentence to natural life. We are unable to see the logic in this position. In any event, at the time of this murder, A.R.S. § 13-703(A) did not provide for the possibility of a natural life sentence. Therefore, that penalty is not available here. See A.R.S.§ 1-246; State v. Vineyard, 96 Ariz. 76, 80, 392 P.2d 30, 33 (1964). Alternatively, defendant asks this court to consider the natural life option as a mitigating factor in its independent review. We have previously held, however, that the availability of a real life sentence is not appropriate mitigation. See State v. Soto-Fong, 187 Ariz. 186, 211, 928 P.2d 610, 635 (1996).