Opinion ID: 2649691
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Confusion About Threshold

Text: ¶92 Forde next argues that because the Enmund/Tison instruction began with the phrase, “[b]efore determining whether the defendant should be sentenced to life imprisonment or death, you must determine whether the State has proved, beyond a reasonable doubt, [the Enmund/Tison threshold],” the court improperly told the jury it could impose a death sentence even if that threshold was unmet. Because Forde did not object at trial, we review for fundamental error, which Forde has not shown here. In another instruction, the court explicitly told the jury that if the State did not prove that Forde met the Enmund/Tison threshold, the court would impose a life sentence. Thus, any confusion stemming from the introductory language in the Enmund/Tison instruction was eliminated. See Dann III, 220 Ariz. at 363 ¶ 51, 207 P.3d at 617.