Opinion ID: 1207988
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Enhancing Multiple Offenses for a Single Injury

Text: The first question we must decide is whether a single serious physical injury can ever enhance multiple sentences under § 13-604.02(A). We hold that the same single physical injury can enhance multiple sentences when each offense involved the injury. This court has previously confirmed that an element of the underlying offense can also be used to trigger sentence enhancement. In State v. Caldera, we reasoned that: [T]he determination of dangerousness can be made in at least two ways. The preferable way would be to directly submit to the jury the issue of dangerousness via verdict forms. Another way in which dangerousness can be determined is when it was a necessary element in the felony for which the appellant was originally convicted. 141 Ariz. 634, 637-38, 688 P.2d 642, 645-46 (1984) (citations omitted). Likewise, in State v. Smith, we explained that because the jury had found the defendant guilty of armed robbery, the jury must necessarily have found that the defendant committed a dangerous offense involving the use of a deadly weapon. 146 Ariz. 491, 499, 707 P.2d 289, 297 (1985). The trial judge in this case reasoned that because the court was not precluded from using an element of the aggravated assault offense  serious physical injury  to apply dangerousness to that offense, the court should not be precluded from applying dangerousness to the other offenses as well. We agree. Although the statute does not expressly state that a single act or injury may enhance more than one offense, the operation of the statute suggests this result. A single criminal offense for which the defendant was previously convicted could clearly enhance the defendant's sentence under § 13-604.02(A) for all crimes committed while on probation or parole for that single offense. See, e.g., State v. Green, 174 Ariz. 586, 588, 852 P.2d 401, 403 (1993). The statute provides no basis for concluding that, although a single prior felony conviction can enhance multiple sentences, a single serious physical injury cannot. We reject defendant's contention that application of the jury's finding of dangerousness to more than one offense violates A.R.S. § 13-116. The prohibition against double punishment in § 13-116 was not designed to cover sentence enhancement. See State v. Rodriguez, 126 Ariz. 104, 107, 612 P.2d 1067, 1070 (App. 1980). Further, the legislature resolved the issue of whether any other statutory provisions prevent application of this sentencing enhancement provision by prefacing § 13-604.02(A) with the phrase [n]otwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary. Accordingly, we hold that a single serious physical injury can enhance multiple sentences when the requirements of § 13-604.02(A) are met with respect to each offense.