City of Rio Rancho v. Mazzei

2010 NMCA 054, 239 P.3d 149, 148 N.M. 553
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 8, 2010
Docket28,609; 32,314
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 2010 NMCA 054 (City of Rio Rancho v. Mazzei) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Rio Rancho v. Mazzei, 2010 NMCA 054, 239 P.3d 149, 148 N.M. 553 (N.M. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

OPINION

VANZI, Judge.

{1} Defendant appeals his conviction for his third offense of driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor (DWI), pursuant to a violation of City of Rio Rancho, N.M., Municipal Code, Rev. Ordinances ch. VI, art. VI § 12.1 (2007) (the Ordinance). On appeal, Defendant challenges the constitutionality of the City of Rio Rancho’s ability to charge him with a petty misdemeanor pursuant to the Ordinance. Defendant asserts that the Ordinance is inconsistent with state law because it limits his right to a jury trial, whereas the state statute for the identical offense carries a misdemeanor penalty under which he would have been entitled to a jury trial; that the Ordinance is void because it is preempted by state law; and that the district court erred in rejecting Defendant’s argument that he should have been Mirandized prior to giving consent to be tested for DWI. We affirm Defendant’s conviction.

BACKGROUND

{2} On January 18, 2007, Rio Rancho police stopped Defendant on suspicion of DWI in violation of the Ordinance. Defendant was tried and convicted in a bench trial in Rio Rancho Municipal Court of DWI, third offense, aggravated, and for traffic lane violation. Defendant was sentenced to one hundred seventy-nine days, the maximum penalty available under the Ordinance. Defendant appealed his conviction to the district court for a trial de novo.

{3} On appeal, the district court held a bench trial after which it also found Defendant guilty of DWI in violation of the Ordinance and sentenced Defendant for DWI, third offense, aggravated, and for failure to maintain traffic lane. The court sentenced Defendant to one hundred seventy-nine days in jail, with eighty-nine days suspended, and ordered probation, fines, and counseling. Defendant’s conviction has been stayed pending the outcome of this appeal.

{4} Defendant argues on appeal that the Ordinance is void because it is inconsistent with state law in that: (1) by providing a lesser penalty for DWI than state law, the Ordinance denied Defendant his right to a jury trial in both the municipal court and on appeal in district court; and (2) the Legislature has preempted the field of DWI legislation, thereby prohibiting municipal regulation of DWI. Defendant also argues that the Implied Consent Act, NMSA 1978, §§ 66-8-105 to -112 (1978, as amended through 2007), violates his right against self-incrimination and that he should have been given a Miranda warning prior to being tested for DWI. We address each of Defendant’s arguments in turn.

DISCUSSION

I. Rio Rancho DWI Ordinance Is Not Void

A. Standard of Review

{5} The Defendant’s first argument requires us to interpret the statutory scheme governing DWI and municipal ordinances. “Interpretation of municipal ordinances and statutes is a question of law that we review de novo.” Stennis v. City of Santa Fe, 2008-NMSC-008, ¶ 13, 143 N.M. 320, 176 P.3d 309. “Our primary goal when interpreting statutory language is to give effect to the intent of the [Legislature.” State v. Torres, 2006-NMCA-106, ¶ 8, 140 N.M. 230, 141 P.3d 1284. “When the language in a statute is clear and unambiguous, we give effect to that language and refrain from further statutory interpretation.” State v. Duhon, 2005-NMCA-120, ¶ 10, 138 N.M. 466, 122 P.3d 50.

B. The Ordinance Did Not Unconstitutionally Limit Defendant’s Right to a Jury

{6} Because the core of Defendant’s argument concerns the constitutional right to a trial by jury, we briefly address which crimes are subject to the Sixth Amendment jury trial provision of the United States Constitution. Our courts have long held that a defendant may demand a trial by jury in those cases where the crime is classified as serious and has a potential penalty in excess of six months’ imprisonment. See State v. Sanchez, 109 N.M. 428, 430, 786 P.2d 42, 44 (1990); see also N.M. Const. art. II, § 12. New Mexico law does not provide for a jury trial for petty misdemeanors, i.e., crimes having a potential penalty of six months or less imprisonment. Hamilton v. Walker, 65 N.M. 470, 471-72, 340 P.2d 407, 408 (1959).

{7} In this case, Defendant was charged with DWI, third offense, aggravated. State law regarding DWI is embodied in NMSA 1978, Sections 66-8-102 to -112 (1953, as amended though 2008). The maximum penalty provided under the state statutes for DWI, third offense, is “imprisonment for not more than three hundred sixty-four days.” Section 66-8-102(F). Because the possible penalty under the state statute is more than six months’ imprisonment, Defendant would have been entitled to a jury trial had he been charged under that statute. On the other hand, the maximum penalty for DWI, third offense, provided by the Ordinance under which Defendant was actually charged, is one hundred seventy-nine days’ imprisonment. Because this penalty is less than six months’ imprisonment, Defendant was tried in municipal court without a jury.

{8} The parties agree that the City of Rio Rancho is a home rule municipality and, as such, it possesses authority under Article X, Section 6 D of the New Mexico Constitution to enact local ordinances in areas not expressly denied by general law. Additionally, NMSA 1978, § 3-17-l(B) (1993) provides that a municipality may adopt ordinances for the health and safety of its inhabitants, so long as the ordinances are not inconsistent with the laws of New Mexico.

{9} Defendant argues that the City of Rio Rancho exceeded its authority by enacting the Ordinance because it unconstitutionally limited his right to a jury trial. He contends that by providing a lesser penalty than provided under the state DWI statutes, the Ordinance is void because it is inconsistent with state law. We disagree.

{10} The parties do not dispute that the elements of the crime of DWI defined in the Ordinance and under state law are substantially the same. The parties also agree that the only substantive difference between the Ordinance and the state DWI statute are in the penalty provisions of the respective laws. Defendant cites no authority to support his contention that an ordinance is inconsistent with state law merely because it provides for a lesser penalty than the maximum penalty permitted by statute. Moreover, we note several New Mexico Supreme Court cases holding contrary to Defendant’s claim.

{11} Our Supreme Court first defined the test to determine whether an ordinance is inconsistent with state law in a 1954 case that challenged a municipal ordinance regulating DWI. State ex rel. Coffin v. McCall, 58 N.M. 534, 537-38, 273 P.2d 642, 644 (1954). In McCall, the Court stated that the test for determining whether a conflict exists is “whether the ordinance permits an act the general law prohibits, or vice versa.” Id. at 537, 273 P.2d at 644.

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Bluebook (online)
2010 NMCA 054, 239 P.3d 149, 148 N.M. 553, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-rio-rancho-v-mazzei-nmctapp-2010.