State v. BALENQUAH

2009 NMCA 055, 208 P.3d 912, 146 N.M. 267
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 13, 2009
Docket26,678
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 2009 NMCA 055 (State v. BALENQUAH) 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
State v. BALENQUAH, 2009 NMCA 055, 208 P.3d 912, 146 N.M. 267 (N.M. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

OPINION

KENNEDY, Judge.

{1} Appellant David Balenquah (Balenquah) appeals his conviction for voluntary manslaughter in the stabbing death of his cousin Andrew Zuni (Zuni). At trial, Balenquah advanced a theory of self-defense and attempted to demonstrate what he alleged were Zuni’s violent propensities. The State first disclosed evidence of Zuni’s criminal history during the trial. Balenquah argues that the State’s failure to disclose such evidence earlier violated his rights under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). He also argues that the district court improperly precluded him from cross-examining two witnesses with specific instances of Zuni’s conduct. In separate issues, Balenquah contests the sufficiency, of the State’s facsimile search warrant and argues that this case presents cumulative error.

{2} We hold that the State’s delayed evidentiary disclosure complies with Brady because the evidence in question was not material. Likewise, we hold that the court’s exclusion of evidence did not impair Balenquah’s defense, and we conclude that the State’s facsimile warrant was sufficient on these facts. No cumulative error exists in this case. We affirm the district court.

Background

{3} The following facts are undisputed. Balenquah and Zuni went elk hunting in southwest New Mexico on December 13, 2003. After killing an elk and dressing it for transport, they went to Uncle Bill’s Bar in Reserve where they had drinks with Anthony and Miguel Jirón. The group split up, and Zuni and Balenquah left Uncle Bill’s in Zuni’s truck, heading back to Albuquerque along State Road 12. Soon thereafter, Zuni was knifed. He died from his wounds in a pool of blood along State Road 12.

{4} Joshua Johnson and his wife were driving along State Road 12 that evening. They saw Balenquah in the road next to Zuni’s truck and stopped to investigate. Balenquah asked the Johnsons for a ride to Albuquerque, but they refused and left, as they were not traveling in that direction. Rosie and Pat Aragon, who were also driving along State Road 12, saw Balenquah, stopped, and agreed to drive him to their home where he could use the telephone. On the way they passed Zuni, still alive, covered in blood, and kneeling on the side of the road. Zuni waved at them in an apparent effort to get help, but they were frightened and continued home with Balenquah in the back seat.

{5} When they arrived home, Mrs. Aragon called the police and reported what had happened. The police responded first to the area where Zuni was seen, but he was dead when they arrived. Police next proceeded to the Aragons’ home where they found Balenquah, his hands and clothes bloody. They arrested Balenquah and took him into custody.

{6} The police sought and were issued three warrants. The judge received the applications for the warrants by facsimile and returned the signed warrants by facsimile. The first warrant authorized the police to recover physical evidence from Balenquah’s person, clothing, and shoes. The other two authorized police to recover physical evidence from Zuni’s truck.

{7} Balenquah was charged on an open count of murder pursuant to NMSA 1978, Section 30-2-1 (1994), and his ease was tried before a jury on December 7-13, 2004. The State argued that Balenquah stabbed and killed Zuni. Balenquah staked his defense to the theory that Zuni was a bully, an enormous man who harassed those weaker than himself. He argued that Zuni became angry at him and made a variety of threatening remarks during the drive home from Uncle Bill’s. The foul remarks, Balenquah contended, ultimately culminated in Zuni attacking him in the truck. In order to protect himself, Balenquah argued, he defended himself against Zuni’s attacks and fled for his life.

{8} At trial, the State first called Rosie and then Pat Aragon, who both testified about what they experienced on December 13, 2003. The State then called Joshua Johnson, who likewise testified to what happened that evening. Fourth was Anthony Jirón, who gave testimony about Zuni’s good character. When Balenquah attempted to cross-examine Anthony Jirón with evidence that Zuni had once “r[u]n over his girlfriend,” the State lodged an objection, which the court sustained on the basis of improper foundation.

{9} In the wake of this objection, Balenquah alerted the court to the fact that the report on Zuni from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), turned over by the State during discovery, was incomplete and covered only traffic violations. The State agreed that the original NCIC report it turned over was for traffic offenses only. Aware that the full NCIC report contained a variety of criminal charges, some of which were violent in nature, the State then offered the full report. Balenquah moved for a mistrial, arguing that the State’s actions violated Brady. The district court suspended its ruling on the motion and allowed the trial to proceed. When the court finally revisited the issue of the NCIC report, the parties agreed to remedy the matter by allowing the entire report to come in as evidence, and on this basis the court heard no more argument on the matter.

{10} During closing argument, Balenquah asserted that Zuni had a propensity for violence and that the complete NCIC report, then already admitted into evidence, was the proof. After deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of guilty on the charge of voluntary manslaughter, and the court entered judgment, sentencing Balenquah to an incarceration period of six years.

Discussion

1. Balenquah’s Rights Under Brady Were Not Violated

{11} Balenquah argues that the State violated his rights under Brady when it failed to turn over Zuni’s complete NCIC report prior to trial. An alleged Brady violation constitutes a charge of prosecutorial misconduct. State v. Trujillo, 2002-NMSC-005, ¶¶ 48, 50, 131 N.M. 709, 42 P.3d 814. We review such charges for abuse of discretion “because the trial court is in the best position to evaluate the significance of any alleged prosecutorial errors.” Case v. Hatch, 2008-NMSC-024, ¶ 47, 144 N.M. 20, 183 P.3d 905 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). When reviewing for abuse of discretion, we will affirm the trial court “unless its ruling [was] arbitrary, capricious, or beyond reason.” Id. (alteration in original) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted).

{12} In Brady, the United States Supreme Court held that the prosecution violates a defendant’s due process rights when it suppresses evidence favorable to the defense. Brady, 373 U.S. at 86, 83 S.Ct. 1194. A defendant must prove three elements under Brady. First, the evidence must have been “suppressed” by the prosecution. Second, the evidence must have been favorable to the defendant. And third, the evidence must have been material to the defense. Trujillo, 2002-NMSC-005, ¶50, 131 N.M. 709, 42 P.3d 814. Balenquah fails to prove the third element.

{13} We assume without deciding that Balenquah satisfied Brady’s first two elements: that the evidence was suppressed and that the evidence was favorable to him. However, Balenquah fails to convince us of the report’s materiality.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2009 NMCA 055, 208 P.3d 912, 146 N.M. 267, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-balenquah-nmctapp-2009.