The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King out Sauron's forces and empties Mordor, allowing Frodo and Sam to reach the volcano, but Gollum attacks them just as they reach Mount Doom. Frodo succumbs to the Ring and claims it as his own. Gollum attacks Frodo and bites his finger off to reclaim the Ring. Frodo fights back and knocks Gollum, who is holding the Ring, into the volcano, destroying the Ring and killing Gollum. As Frodo and Sam escape, Sauron is destroyed and Mordor crumbles. Gandalf flies in with eagles to rescue the Hobbits, who awaken later in Minas Tirith and are reunited with the surviving Fellowship
Ring v. Arizona provided that the judge alone would make these findings. After a sentencing hearing, at which Ring's accomplices testified, the judge found that two aggravating factors applied: that Ring had committed the murder in expectation of pecuniary gain and that he had committed the murder in an especially heinous, cruel, or depraved manner. Although he found that Ring had a "minimal" criminal record, the judge concluded that this did not outweigh the aggravating factors, and sentenced Ring to death. Writing for the majority, Justice Ginsburg began with an important characterization of Arizona's capital sentencing scheme. Based solely on the jury's verdict