In re Danny R.

838 P.2d 469, 114 N.M. 315
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 21, 1992
DocketNo. 12531
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 838 P.2d 469 (In re Danny R.) 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
In re Danny R., 838 P.2d 469, 114 N.M. 315 (N.M. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

OPINION

MINZNER, Judge.

The child, who was born on November 27, 1971, appeals the revocation of his probation for embezzlement, contrary to NMSA 1978, Section 30-16-8 (Cum.Supp. 1991), arguing that (1) “[t]he state is barred, by public policy considerations, from prosecuting [him] for embezzlement because he breached the conspiracy,” and (2) “ ‘[e]ntrustment’ under the embezzlement statute should not include entrustment made pursuant to a criminal conspiracy.” We affirm.

The relevant facts of this case are as follows. The child was adjudicated a delinquent in August 1988 because he allowed himself to be served alcohol. See NMSA 1978, § 32-l-3(0)(2) (Repl.Pamp.1989). The children’s court placed him on probation “for an indeterminate period not to exceed two years” following adjudication and, among other conditions, ordered that he sign a Juvenile Probation Agreement. The Juvenile Probation Agreement provided, among other conditions, that he was to “comply with all federal, state, county and municipal laws and ordinances,” “not consume or partake of any controlled substances or alcoholic beverages,” and “not associate with any person(s) who may be involved in any unlawful acts.” The agreement also obligated the child to attend “First Offenders Program through Border Area Mental Health Services and cooperate with them.”

The petition to revoke probation filed in March 1990 alleged that the child violated the condition in the Juvenile Probation Agreement that he comply with state law because he committed the delinquent acts of conspiracy and embezzlement on or about August 31, 1989. The petition also alleged that the child “failed to complete the First Offenders Program.” The allegations regarding conspiracy and failure to complete the program were dismissed prior to the entry of the judgment from which he appeals.

At a hearing before the children’s court judge, the child admitted certain allegations of the petition to revoke his probation. He admitted the allegations contained in the second count, that he had been entrusted with sixty dollars by an undercover police officer to purchase marijuana and had converted the money with fraudulent intent to deprive its owner, Tri City Narcotic Enforcement Unit. At that hearing, he orally reserved the right to appeal the following question: “Can it be a crime to embezzle money that was entrusted to him to commit a crime?” But cf. State v. Ortiz, 90 N.M. 319, 563 P.2d 113 (Ct.App.1977) (where defendant, through a police informant, met with Drug Enforcement Administration agents and agreed to purchase heroin for a fixed sum, but disappeared after taking the money, there was sufficient evidence to support a conviction for embezzlement).

Under the terms of the judgment from which the child appeals, the children’s court again placed him on probation “for an indeterminate period of time not to exceed two years.” The court conditioned probation on the child signing a juvenile probation agreement and abiding by its terms. The court ordered that he be committed to the juvenile detention facility for fifteen days, but authorized the juvenile probation officer to credit up to fifteen days of detention if by August 31, 1990 (1) the child repaid the sixty dollars; (2) either paid a seventy-five dollar fine or performed forty hours of community service; and (3) showed verification that he had attended at least six AA meetings. The operation of the judgment was stayed pending appeal.

On appeal, the argument reserved at the children’s court hearing seems to have been restated or refined into two arguments. In each argument the child contends, in effect, that Section 30-16-8 should not be construed to encompass his actions underlying the second count of the petition.

The first argument made on appeal is that the child has done nothing more than fail to perform an oral sales contract. Based on cases from other jurisdictions, he argues that the legislature never intended that breach of contract be prosecuted as a crime. The child may be arguing that when an action or series of actions can be viewed as a breach of contract, it cannot be prosecuted as a crime. If so, the argument is too broad.

As we recently indicated in State v. Crews, 110 N.M. 723, 728-29, 799 P.2d 592, 597-98 (Ct.App.1989), the fact that a breach of contract may be unenforceable in a civil action does not preclude a prosecution for criminal fraud. The success of such a prosecution will depend on whether there is sufficient proof of each of the elements required for conviction by the legislature when it enacted the statute. On these facts, the validity of a conviction for embezzlement would seem to turn on whether there was sufficient evidence that the child had received the money with a specific understanding that it was to be used for a particular purpose and only for that purpose.

Thus, with respect to the first argument raised on appeal, the proper disposition depends on whether the officer can be said to have “entrusted” the child with the money and whether the child can be said to have “converted” the money with “fraudulent intent.” Under our case law, the existence of an entrustment for purposes of embezzlement requires a determination of whether the money was committed or surrendered “ ‘with a certain confidence regarding [the child’s] care, use, or disposal.’ ” See State v. Moss, 83 N.M. 42, 44, 487 P.2d 1347, 1349 (Ct.App.1971) (quoting Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (1966)). Under the Uniform Jury Instruction, “ ‘[converting something to one’s own use’ means keeping another’s property rather than returning it, or using another’s property for one’s own purpose rather than for the purpose” intended by the owner. See SCRA 1986, 14-1641.

Here, there was no indication that the child knew the officer was working undercover. There was also no indication that the officer had any particular reason to place confidence in the child. Finally, there was no indication regarding when the child formed his intent to convert. Cf. Ortiz, 90 N.M. at 322, 563 P.2d at 116 (evidence was sufficient to show that the defendant intended to convert money after it was entrusted to him and thus to support a conviction for embezzlement; the defendant had been alternatively charged with fraud). Thus, there may have been an insufficient factual basis for concluding that the child had taken the property of another. See 2 Wayne R. LaFave & Austin W. Scott, Jr., Substantive Criminal Law § 8.6(d) (1986); see also Model Penal Code § 223.8 commentary at 255-56, 262-66 (1980).

Nevertheless, the child admitted all the elements of the crime, including entrustment. We think he is bound by his admission and, without withdrawing that admission, may not challenge the sufficiency of the evidence to support the elements of entrustment. See State v. Bonney, 82 N.M. 508, 484 P.2d 350 (Ct.App.1971).

With respect.to the second argument made on appeal, we believe the theory advanced by the child is contrary to Section 30-16-8. The child argues that he did not “lawfully” possess the money because the agreement was illegal, and that unless he was in lawful possession, he was not guilty of embezzlement. See State v. Pedroncelli, 100 N.M.

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Related

State v. McCoy
864 P.2d 307 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1993)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
838 P.2d 469, 114 N.M. 315, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-danny-r-nmctapp-1992.