Arizona Laws 13-706. Serious, violent or aggravated offenders; sentencing; life imprisonment; definitions
A. A person who is at least eighteen years of age or who has been tried as an adult and who is convicted of a serious offense except a drug offense, first degree murder or any dangerous crime against children as defined in section 13-705, whether a completed or preparatory offense, and who has previously been convicted of two or more serious offenses not committed on the same occasion shall be sentenced to life imprisonment and is not eligible for suspension of sentence, probation, pardon or release from confinement on any basis, except as specifically authorized by section 31-233, subsection A or B, until the person has served at least twenty-five years or the sentence is commuted.
Attorney's Note
Under the Arizona Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class 2 felony | up to 10 years | up to $150,000 |
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 13-706
- Absconder: means a probationer who has moved from the probationer's primary residence without permission of the probation officer, who cannot be located within ninety days of the previous contact and against whom a petition to revoke has been filed in the superior court alleging that the probationer's whereabouts are unknown. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Adult: means a person who has attained eighteen years of age. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Conduct: means an act or omission and its accompanying culpable mental state. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Crime: means a misdemeanor or a felony. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Criminal street gang: means an ongoing formal or informal association of persons in which members or associates individually or collectively engage in the commission, attempted commission, facilitation or solicitation of any felony act and that has at least one individual who is a criminal street gang member. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Dangerous instrument: means anything that under the circumstances in which it is used, attempted to be used or threatened to be used is readily capable of causing death or serious physical injury. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Deadly weapon: means anything designed for lethal use, including a firearm. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Felony: means an offense for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment in the custody of the state department of corrections is authorized by any law of this state. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Firearm: means any loaded or unloaded handgun, pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun or other weapon that will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of expanding gases, except that it does not include a firearm in permanently inoperable condition. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- including: means not limited to and is not a term of exclusion. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Minor: means a person under eighteen years of age. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Person: means a human being and, as the context requires, an enterprise, a public or private corporation, an unincorporated association, a partnership, a firm, a society, a government, a governmental authority or an individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interest in property. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Physical injury: means the impairment of physical condition. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
- Serious physical injury: includes physical injury that creates a reasonable risk of death, or that causes serious and permanent disfigurement, serious impairment of health or loss or protracted impairment of the function of any bodily organ or limb. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Unlawful: means contrary to law or, where the context so requires, not allowed by law. See Arizona Laws 13-105
B. Unless a longer term of imprisonment or death is the prescribed penalty and notwithstanding any provision that establishes a shorter term of imprisonment, a person who has been convicted of committing or attempting or conspiring to commit any violent or aggravated felony and who has previously been convicted on separate occasions of two or more violent or aggravated felonies not committed on the same occasion shall be sentenced to imprisonment for life and is not eligible for suspension of sentence, probation, pardon or release on any basis except that the person may be eligible for commutation after the person has served at least thirty-five years.
C. In order for the penalty under subsection B of this section to apply, both of the following must occur:
1. The aggravated or violent felonies that comprise the prior convictions shall have been entered within fifteen years of the conviction for the third offense, not including time spent in custody or on probation for an offense or while the person is an absconder.
2. The sentence for the first aggravated or violent felony conviction shall have been imposed before the conduct occurred that gave rise to the second conviction, and the sentence for the second aggravated or violent felony conviction shall have been imposed before the conduct occurred that gave rise to the third conviction.
D. Chapter 3 of this title applies to all offenses under this section.
E. For the purposes of this section, if a person has been convicted of an offense committed in another jurisdiction that if committed in this state would be a violation or attempted violation of any of the offenses listed in this section and that has the same elements of an offense listed in this section, the offense committed in another jurisdiction is considered an offense committed in this state.
F. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Serious offense" means any of the following offenses if committed in this state or any offense committed outside this state that if committed in this state would constitute one of the following offenses:
(a) First degree murder.
(b) Second degree murder.
(c) Manslaughter.
(d) Aggravated assault resulting in serious physical injury or involving the discharge, use or threatening exhibition of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument.
(e) Sexual assault.
(f) Any dangerous crime against children.
(g) Arson of an occupied structure.
(h) Armed robbery.
(i) Burglary in the first degree.
(j) Kidnapping.
(k) Sexual conduct with a minor under fifteen years of age.
(l) Child sex trafficking.
2. "Violent or aggravated felony" means any of the following offenses:
(a) First degree murder.
(b) Second degree murder.
(c) Aggravated assault resulting in serious physical injury or involving the discharge, use or threatening exhibition of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument.
(d) Dangerous or deadly assault by prisoner.
(e) Committing assault with intent to incite to riot or participate in riot.
(f) Drive by shooting.
(g) Discharging a firearm at a residential structure if the structure is occupied.
(h) Kidnapping.
(i) Sexual conduct with a minor that is a class 2 felony.
(j) Sexual assault.
(k) Molestation of a child.
(l) Continuous sexual abuse of a child.
(m) Violent sexual assault.
(n) Burglary in the first degree committed in a residential structure if the structure is occupied.
(o) Arson of an occupied structure.
(p) Arson of an occupied jail or prison facility.
(q) Armed robbery.
(r) Participating in or assisting a criminal syndicate or leading or participating in a criminal street gang.
(s) Terrorism.
(t) Taking a child for the purpose of prostitution.
(u) Child sex trafficking.
(v) Commercial sexual exploitation of a minor.
(w) Sexual exploitation of a minor.
(x) Unlawful introduction of disease or parasite as prescribed by section 13-2912, subsection A, paragraph 2 or 3.