State v. De St. Croix
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The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of one count of intentional, knowing, or depraved indifference murder, one count of depraved indifference murder, and one count of arson and sentence of two life terms for the murders, holding that there was no error in Defendant's sentence.
The trial court set Defendant's basic sentence for both murders at life imprisonment based on the application of two of the aggravating circumstances named in State v. Shortsleeves, 580 A.2d 145 (Me. 1990) - premeditation-in-fact and extreme cruelty. On appeal, Defendant challenged both aggravating circumstances. The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed, holding (1) the court did not err by applying premeditation-in-fact and extreme cruelty as aggravating circumstances to justify imposition of a basic sentence of life imprisonment for both counts of murder; and (2) the trial court precisely complied with the legal principles that apply to setting the basic sentence.
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