Opinion ID: 1756872
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: Point Eleven: Indictment

Text: In the eleventh point, Appellant argues the trial court erred in overruling the motion to quash the information or preclude the death penalty because the State did not plead the statutory aggravators in the indictment. Appellant was indicted for first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, first-degree assault, and three counts of armed criminal action. The State later filed notice of aggravation pursuant to section 565.005.1(1). Appellant raised this argument in a pre-trial motion and in the motion for new trial. Appellant relies on Ring, 536 U.S. 584, 122 S.Ct. 2428, 153 L.Ed.2d 556, and Apprendi, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435, for the proposition that statutory aggravators must be included in the charging document because it is the functional equivalent of an element of a greater offense. This Court has repeatedly rejected the argument because Missouri's statutory scheme recognizes a single offense of murder with a maximum sentence of death, and the required presence of aggravating facts or circumstances to result in this sentence in no way increases this maximum penalty. Johnson I, 207 S.W.3d at 48. See also, e.g., Gill, 167 S.W.3d at 193-94; Glass, 136 S.W.3d at 513, State v. Gilbert, 103 S.W.3d 743, 747 (Mo. banc 2003). Notice of statutory aggravators, as required by section 565.005.1, stands in lieu of charging them in the information or indictment. Johnson I, 207 S.W.3d at 48. The State was not required to include the statutory aggravators in the indictment and filed the necessary notice. The trial court did not err. The point is denied.