Burton v. Stewart

Burton v. Stewart is a relatively well-known case in the legal world. This case involved Mr. Burton who sued the warden of his prison, Stewart. The reason he sued is that he believed that a previous United States Supreme Court case, known as Blakely v. Washington should apply to his own case. Burton had been convicted of first-degree rape, robbery, and burglary. Because of the heinous nature of his crimes, the rape didn't actually have to be added to the length of his prison sentence. The reason that the rape didn't have to be added is that the two other offenses already met the maximum sentence under the law, but the trial judge decided to make an exceptional sentence for the rape, adding time onto the overall sentence.

The reason why Mr. Burton sued Stewart is that he believed that according to Blakely v. Washington, only a jury could make the decision to add to the length of prison sentences, not the trial judge. Mr. Burton appealed his sentence, stating that his sentence was unconstitutional under the law. Under appeal, the United States Supreme Court upheld the district court ruling, stating that Blakely was a new rule and did not apply to the Burton case.

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