Christopher Anthony Mountjoy, Jr., Petitioner v. the People of the State of Colorado, Respondent

Summary

The court held that aggravated sentences did not violate the defendant’s due-process or jury-trial rights because each sentence rested on at least one fact found by the jury beyond a reasonable doubt as an element of a separate conviction arising from the same criminal episode. Such facts remained jury-found aggravating facts even though the jury did not link them specifically to the offense whose sentence was enhanced, and one compliant aggravating fact was sufficient. The court therefore affirmed the court of appeals on grounds different from those it used.