State v. Cope

387 P.3d 746, 241 Ariz. 323, 755 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 5, 2016 Ariz. App. LEXIS 293
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedDecember 30, 2016
Docket1 CA-CR 14-0596
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 387 P.3d 746 (State v. Cope) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Cope, 387 P.3d 746, 241 Ariz. 323, 755 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 5, 2016 Ariz. App. LEXIS 293 (Ark. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION

OROZCO, Judge:

¶ 1 Julie Lynn Cope appeals her convictions and sentences for shoplifting under Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) section 13-1805.A.1 (West 2016) 1 and for organized retail theft under both A.R.S. §§ 13-1819.A.1 and -A.2. Because we conclude that Cope’s shoplifting conviction was a lesser-included offense of her conviction for organized retail theft pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-1819.A.2, we vacate Cope’s shoplifting conviction. However, because we conclude that Cope’s convictions for organized retail theft under A.R.S. §§ 13-1819.A.1 and -A.2 do not violate double jeopardy, we affirm her convictions and sentences on both charges.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 2 The State filed a direct complaint against Cope, charging her with the following offenses: Count 1, Shoplifting, in violation of A.R.S. § 13-1805.A.1; Count 2, Organized Retail Theft, in violation of A.R.S. § 13-1819.A.1; and Count 3, Organized Retail Theft, in violation of A.R.S. § 13-1819.A.2. After a trial conducted in absentia, a jury convicted Cope on all three counts. The jury also found aggravating factors on each count, and after Cope was taken into custody, the court sentenced her to nine-and-a-half years’ incarceration on each conviction, to be served concurrently.

¶ 3 Cope timely appealed. We have jurisdiction pursuant to Article 6, Section 9, of the Arizona Constitution, and A.R.S. §§ 12-120.21.A.1,13-4031, and -4033.A.1.

DISCUSSION

I. Lesser-included Offense

¶ 4 Cope contends her shoplifting conviction under A.R.S, § 13-1805.A.1 should be vacated, because it is a lesser-included offense of her conviction for organized retail theft pursuant to § 13-1819.A.2.

¶5 Statutory interpretation is a question of law we review de novo. State v. Gonzalez, 216 Ariz. 11, 12, ¶ 2, 162 P.3d 650 (App. 2007) (citing State v, Johnson, 195 Ariz. 553, 554, ¶ 3, 991 P.2d 256 (App. 1999)). Double jeopardy protects a defendant from multiple punishments arising from the same offense. State v. Garcia, 235 Ariz. 627, 629, ¶ 5, 334 P.3d 1286 (App. 2014); see U.S. Const. amend. V; Ariz. Const. art. 2, § 10. “Because greater and lesser-included offenses are considered the ‘same offense,’ the *325 Double Jeopardy Clauses forbid the imposition of a separate punishment for a lesser offense[,] when a defendant has been convicted and sentenced for the greater offense.” Id. “To constitute a lesser-included offense, the crime must be ‘composed solely of some[,] but not all of the elements of the greater crime so that it is impossible to have committed the crime charged without having committed the lesser one.’ ” Id. at 629-30, ¶ 6, 334 P.3d 1286 (quoting State v. Chabolla-Hinojosa, 192 Ariz. 360, 363, ¶ 11, 965 P.2d 94 (App. 1998)). A double jeopardy violation is fundamental error. State v. Price, 218 Ariz. 311, 313, ¶ 4, 183 P.3d 1279 (App. 2008).

¶ 6 We conclude that shoplifting under A.R.S. §§ 13-1805.A.1 is a lesser-included offense of organized retail theft pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-1819.A.2, because each element of shoplifting is required to prove organized retail theft. A person commits organized retail theft by using “an artifice, instrument, container, device or other article to facilitate the removal of merchandise ... without paying the purchase price.” A.R.S. § 13-1819.-A.2. Although the requisite intent is not specified in the statute, in State v. Veloz, 236 Ariz. 532, 536, ¶ 10, 342 P.3d 1272 (App. 2015) we held that proof of an intent to deprive is an element of the crime. By comparison, a person commits shoplifting by removing goods with the “intent to deprive.” A.R.S. § 13-1805.A.1. Shoplifting is therefore a lesser-included offense of organized retail theft.

II. Double Jeopardy Does Not Bar Convictions under Both A.R.S. §§ 13-1819.A.1 and A.2

¶ 7 Cope argues that her convictions for organized retail theft under §§ 13-1819.-A.1 and -A.2 arising from the theft of the same item violates double jeopardy.

¶ 8 Double jeopardy prohibits multiple punishments for the same offense. State v. Powers, 200 Ariz. 123, 125, ¶ 5, 23 P.3d 668 (App. 2001) (citing Ohio v. Johnson, 467 U.S. 493, 497-98, 104 S.Ct. 2536, 81 L.Ed.2d 425 (1984); Taylor v. Sherrill, 169 Ariz. 335, 338, 819 P.2d 921 (1991)). “We review de novo whether double jeopardy applies.” State v. Harm, 236 Ariz. 402, 406, ¶ 15, 340 P.3d 1110 (App. 2015) (citing State v. Siddle, 202 Ariz. 512, 515, ¶ 8, 47 P.3d 1150 (App. 2002)). “The applicable rule is that, where the same act or transaction constitutes a violation of two distinct statutory provisions, the test to be applied to determine whether there are two offenses or only one is whether each provision requires proof of an additional fact which the other does not.” State v. Anderson, 210 Ariz. 327, 357, ¶ 139, 111 P.3d 369 (2005) (quoting Blockburger v. U.S.,

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State of Arizona v. Ronald David Castillo
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2025
State v. Juarez
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2022
State v. Wilkins
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2022
State v. Mowers
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2020
Prosise v. Hon kottke/state
466 P.3d 386 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2020)
State v. Quijada
439 P.3d 815 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2019)
State v. Graves
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2019
State v. Green
431 P.3d 599 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2018)
State v. Eisenmann
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2018
State v. McMorris
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2018

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
387 P.3d 746, 241 Ariz. 323, 755 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 5, 2016 Ariz. App. LEXIS 293, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-cope-arizctapp-2016.