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Apprendi v. New Jersey

United States Supreme Court
530 U.S. 466, 120 S. Ct. 2348, 147 L. Ed. 2d 435 (2000)

Written by Lucy Elsbree, JD

Facts

Under a state statute, a defendant could be sentenced to between five and 10 years’ imprisonment for possessing a firearm for an unlawful purpose. Under a separate “hate crime” statute, a defendant could be sentenced to an “extended term” if the trial judge found by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant committed a crime with the express purpose of intimidating a person or group because of race, gender, handicap, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. Pursuant to this hate-crime statute, Apprendi (defendant) was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment.

Rule of Law

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Issue

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Holding and Reasoning (Stevens, J.)

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A "yes" or "no" answer to the question framed in the issue section;
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Concurrence (Thomas, J.)

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Concurrence (Scalia, J.)

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Dissent (Breyer, J.)

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Dissent (O’Connor, J.)

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