Opinion ID: 1431933
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: prison term sentences

Text: The defendant next challenges the sentences imposed on the noncapital felonies. Specifically, he contends that the judge erred when: (1) he considered victim impact evidence; and (2) he ordered that the noncapital sentences run consecutively to his death sentence.
Among his death penalty issues, the defendant contends that the trial judge erred when he considered letters of family, friends, and the public in sentencing the defendant to death. He asserts that this violated the restrictions on aggravating factors of A.R.S. § 13-703(F) as well as the eighth amendment. Booth v. Maryland, 482 U.S. 496, 107 S.Ct. 2529, 96 L.Ed.2d 440 (1987). The Arizona statutory death penalty procedure restricts the trial judge to the consideration of the aggravating circumstances set out in A.R.S. § 13-703(F). The death penalty may not be considered unless the trial judge finds the existence of one of the statutory aggravating circumstances. The impact of the murder upon the family of the victim has never been a statutory aggravating circumstances under the Arizona death penalty statute. Under the provisions of A.R.S. § 13-702(D), which applies to noncapital sentences, one of the aggravating circumstances that the trial judge must consider is: 9. The physical, emotional and financial harm caused to the victim or, if the victim has died as a result of the conduct of the defendant, the emotional and financial harm caused to the victim's immediate family. However, A.R.S. § 13-702 also provides in subsection G: Nothing in this section shall affect any provision of law which imposes the death penalty, which expressly provides for imprisonment for life or which authorizes or restricts the granting of probation and suspending the execution of sentence. Thus, the statutory scheme for noncapital sentencing is separate and distinct from that applying to the sentence of death or life imprisonment. The ruling in Booth, barring the consideration of victim impact evidence, applies only to death penalty cases. Id., 482 U.S. at 509 n. 12, 107 S.Ct. at 2536 n. 12. There is no suggestion in Booth that victim impact evidence may not be used in noncapital felony sentencing. Contrary to the defendant's contention, the judge did not consider victim impact evidence in the capital sentence, but did in sentencing for the defendant's conviction on the non-capital felonies. When the judge indicated he intended to consider the letters in sentencing, he stated that they did not fall under any provisions of the death sentencing statute. It is obvious that he intended to consider that evidence only in determining the sentence to be imposed on the noncapital felony convictions for armed robbery, kidnapping, and theft by control. The trial judge's action is further substantiated by his clear listing of the factors he considered for each type of sentence. The trial judge based the death penalty only on aggravating circumstances of cruel, heinous, or depraved conduct, and pecuniary gain, but he expressly indicated that he arrived at the sentences for the other felonies based upon three aggravating circumstances that included victim impact. Therefore, the judge only weighed victim impact in sentencing the defendant on the noncapital felonies. We find no error.
The defendant also contends that the trial court erred when it sentenced him to concurrent terms for the robbery, kidnapping, and theft convictions that run consecutively to the death penalty for first degree murder. He relies on A.R.S. § 13-604(H) and the holding of State v. Perkins, 144 Ariz. 591, 699 P.2d 364 (1985), barring consecutive sentences for spree offenses arising from the same occasion. A.R.S. § 13-604(H) governs sentence enhancement, not consecutive sentencing. State v. Noble, 152 Ariz. 284, 287, 731 P.2d 1228, 1231 (1987). Additionally, we expressly overruled Perkins to the extent that it suggests that § 13-604(H) limits a judge's ability to impose consecutive sentences. Id., 152 Ariz. at 288, 731 P.2d at 1232. Rather, our rule for consecutive sentencing is found in Arizona's multiple punishment statute, A.R.S. § 13-116. In State v. Tinghitella, 108 Ariz. 1, 3, 491 P.2d 834, 836 (1971), we adopted the identical elements test to determine when consecutive sentences violated A.R.S. § 13-116 (then A.R.S. § 13-1641). State v. Rumsey, 130 Ariz. 427, 430, 636 P.2d 1209, 1212 (1981), affd., 467 U.S. 203, 104 S.Ct. 2305, 81 L.Ed.2d 164 (1981). Under that test, the judge must eliminate all elements of one charge and determine whether the remaining facts support the other charges. Id.; Tinghitella, 108 Ariz. at 3, 491 P.2d at 836. There was sufficient evidence in the record to independently support each of the charges. We therefore hold that the judge did not err by the consecutive sentencing in this matter.