State v. Martinez: The Arizona Supreme Court Applies and Upholds the State Sentencing Scheme in Light of Blakely

In State v. Martinez, the Arizona Supreme Court considered Arizona’s sentencing structure. The court responded to recent U.S. Supreme Court Sixth Amendment cases which held that any aggravating fact that extends a defendant’s sentence beyond a statutory maximum must be found by the jury. In Martinez, the court held that the jury only has to find one aggravating factor for the judge to extend the sentencing range to the statutory maximum.