Apprendi v. New Jersey

Apprendi v. New Jersey is a 2000 U.S. Supreme Court case that established the principle that any fact that increases a defendant’s sentence beyond the statutory maximum must be proven to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. In this case, the Court ruled that sentencing decisions cannot be based solely on judicial discretion if they result in harsher penalties, unless such facts are proven as part of a jury trial. This decision emphasizes that the Sixth Amendment rights to a jury trial extend to the facts that determine the severity of punishment.