Opinion ID: 867274
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Double Counting of Victim's Age

Text: ¶28 Villalobos contends that the prosecutor's description of Ashley as tiny, 32 pound[s], a child, and five years old in his closing argument improperly encouraged the jury to weigh her age twice in finding the (F)(6) and (F)(9) aggravators. A jury may use one fact to find multiple aggravators, but it may not weigh the same fact twice when assessing aggravation and mitigation. State v. Velazquez, 216 Ariz. 300, 307 ¶ 22, 166 P.3d 91, 98 (2007). ¶29 Villalobos has not demonstrated impermissible double counting. The prosecutor's comments regarding Ashley's age, size, weight, and references to her as a child appropriately encouraged the jury to consider whether she was helpless at the time of the murder. See State v. Bolton, 182 Ariz. 290, 310 n. 6, 896 P.2d 830, 850 n. 6 (1995) (evaluating child's defenselessness as part of (F)(6) aggravator). The prosecutor expressly told the jury that it could consider physical size as evidence of helplessness, but emphasized that he was talking about her size, not her chronological age. This Court has found similar comments appropriate in cases involving both the (F)(6) and (F)(9) aggravators. See Velazquez, 216 Ariz. at 307 ¶ 23, 166 P.3d at 98; State v. Medina, 193 Ariz. 504, 512 ¶ 26, 975 P.2d 94, 102 (1999). Moreover, the jury was expressly instructed not to consider age when determining whether the crime was especially heinous, cruel or depraved. See Velazquez, 216 Ariz. at 307 ¶ 24, 166 P.3d at 98 (citing such an instruction in rejecting double-counting argument).