A new Arizona court ruling says use of stun guns while committing crimes can trigger tougher sentences.
The state Court of Appeals has upheld a sentencing enhancement for a woman who took part in a 2011 home invasion in which a stun gun was used on the victim.
The enhancement resulted in longer prison sentences for two of Amy Gustafson's convictions in Pima County Superior Court. The home invasion victim had a heart condition and fell on a concrete floor when she was stunned.
Gustafon's lawyer argued a stun gun was not a dangerous instrument. But the appeals court ruled jurors reasonably concluded that it was based on common sense and circumstances of the crimes.
Gustafson is serving a 10.5-year sentence at the Perryville state prison complex west of Phoenix.