State v. Bernal-Corral

CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 23, 2025
StatusUnpublished

This text of State v. Bernal-Corral (State v. Bernal-Corral) 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. Bernal-Corral, (N.M. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

This decision of the New Mexico Court of Appeals was not selected for publication in the New Mexico Appellate Reports. Refer to Rule 12-405 NMRA for restrictions on the citation of unpublished decisions. Electronic decisions may contain computer- generated errors or other deviations from the official version filed by the Court of Appeals.

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO

No. A-1-CA-41081

STATE OF NEW MEXICO,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

v.

EFRAIN BERNAL-CORRAL,

Defendant-Appellant.

APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF TAOS COUNTY Emilio Chavez, District Court Judge

Raúl Torrez, Attorney General Santa Fe, NM Emily Miller, Assistant Solicitor General Albuquerque, NM

for Appellee

Kathryn J. Hardy Law, LLC Kathryn J. Hardy Taos, NM

for Appellant

MEMORANDUM OPINION

MEDINA, Chief Judge.

{1} Following a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of criminal sexual penetration (CSP) in the second degree, contrary to NMSA 1978, Section 30-9-11 (2009); and false imprisonment, contrary to NMSA 1978, Section 30-4-3 (1963). Defendant appeals his convictions claiming that a number of errors occurred during the proceedings below. Specifically, Defendant argues that (1) his convictions for both CSP in the second degree and false imprisonment violated his right to be free from double jeopardy; (2) his post-Miranda statements should have been suppressed; (3) the district court abused its discretion during voir dire; (4) the prosecutor engaged in misconduct resulting in the denial of his right to a fair trial; and (5) his trial counsel was ineffective. We affirm.

BACKGROUND

{2} The victim (Victim) in this case rented a residence managed by Defendant and his wife. The residence had a front door leading outside and a door in the bedroom that also led outside. At around 2:55 a.m. on the day of the incident, Victim heard her landlord, Defendant, knock on her bedroom window and on the bedroom door. Victim put on a pair of shorts, opened the door slightly, and asked Defendant what he wanted. While standing at the door, Defendant blamed Victim for damage to a gate, made disparaging comments about Victim, told her she would have to engage in sex with him or she would be evicted, and leaned in to kiss her neck. Victim pushed Defendant away and told him, “No.” Defendant asked Victim, “Why not?” and she replied that he was married and a lot older. Defendant assured Victim his wife would not find out and then swung the door open and stepped into Victim’s bedroom. Victim backed up and attempted to escape through the living room door, but Defendant blocked her exit. He again told Victim she would be evicted unless she had sex with him. Victim told Defendant that she did not “want to leave but [did not] want to have sex with [him] either.” She offered to pay for the broken gate if Defendant would leave her alone. Defendant insisted she have sex with him and in response Victim tried to bargain with him. Defendant engaged the deadbolt on the door, preventing her from leaving.

{3} Defendant then forcefully threw Victim onto her bed and tried to force her legs apart. Victim pleaded and begged for Defendant to stop, but he did not stop. Victim told Defendant she was bleeding to which Defendant responded he did not care and ordered Victim to grab a condom or he would kill her. Victim retrieved a condom and threw it at Defendant, after which Defendant again pushed Victim onto the bed. Defendant pulled down her shorts and forcefully penetrated her. Defendant then digitally penetrated her anus. Defendant then told Victim not to tell anyone about what had happened. A jury convicted Defendant of CSP and false imprisonment. This appeal followed.

DISCUSSION

I. Double Jeopardy

{4} Defendant argues that his convictions for CSP and false imprisonment are based on “a single course of conduct,” and therefore, convictions for both violate his right to be free from double jeopardy. A claim that a single act resulted in multiple charges under different statutes is a “double[] description” claim. State v. Swick, 2012-NMSC-018, ¶¶ 10-11, 279 P.3d 747. Our review on appeal is de novo. State v. Phillips, 2024- NMSC-009, ¶ 9, 548 P.3d 51. {5} In addressing Defendant’s double description claim, we consider whether the same conduct violates both the CSP and the false imprisonment statutes. In doing so, we consider well-established factors to determine whether Defendant’s conduct in committing the offenses is “sufficiently distinct” or is unitary. See id. ¶ 12 (referring to the factors set forth in Herron v. State, 1991-NMSC-012, ¶ 15, 111 N.M. 357, 805 P.2d 624, such as time and place, intervening events, sequencing of acts, and offender’s conduct and utterances). “[N]o Herron factor is dispositive, but instead . . . all factors should be considered together in light of the facts and circumstances of each case.” Phillips, 2024- NMSC-009, ¶ 13. If Defendant’s conduct or acts are not unitary, the double jeopardy analysis ends, and there has been no double jeopardy violation. See State v. Silvas, 2015-NMSC-006, ¶ 9, 343 P.3d 616. We look to the Legislature’s intent with regard to punishment only if the conduct is unitary. Id.

{6} In support of this claim, Defendant relies on State v. Armendariz, a case in which the victim was asleep but awoke when someone jumped on top of her, and the defendant was convicted of false imprisonment and CSP, among other things. 2006- NMCA-152, ¶¶ 1, 13, 140 N.M. 712, 148 P.3d 798. In that case, “[w]hen [the d]efendant was on top of her . . . [the d]efendant restrained [the v]ictim and both orally and vaginally penetrated” her. Id. ¶ 13. The court in Armendariz found the defendant’s conduct unitary, because “[t]he same force used to effect false imprisonment was used to commit CSP.” Id.

{7} Defendant argues that the same offenses involved in this case were involved in the Armendariz case, the sexual offense involving Victim in this case occurred “right away” after the restraint began, and the initial restraint of Victim did not end but continued through the sexual offense. Therefore, Defendant contends, this Court should come to the same conclusion as the Armendariz court and find that Defendant’s conduct was unitary. We disagree with Defendant’s suggestion that the defendant’s conduct in the Armendariz case is comparable to the conduct and acts in this case.

{8} As noted in Armendariz, “the CSP statute is designed to prevent unwanted sexual violence while the false imprisonment statute is designed to prevent unlawful restraint of any sort.” Id. ¶ 17 (alteration, internal quotation marks, and citation omitted). Physical restraint is not required in order to meet the elements of false imprisonment. See State v. Corneau, 1989-NMCA-040, ¶ 12, 109 N.M. 81, 781 P.2d 1159. Rather, it can be shown by words, acts, gestures, and utterances, and “[t]he restraint need be for only a brief [amount of] time.” Id. While most acts of CSP may involve false imprisonment, the facts in a particular situation could support a finding that a distinct act of false imprisonment occurred prior to the act of forcible intercourse, and a jury could determine that the act of false imprisonment was separate and apart from any false imprisonment involved in the act of CSP. Id. ¶ 11.

{9} As explained below, based on the evidence presented in this case, the jury could determine that the conduct underlying the false imprisonment conviction was separate and distinct from the conduct underlying the CSP conviction. False imprisonment consists of “intentionally confining or restraining another person” without their consent and without authority to do so. Section 30-4-3.

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Related

State v. Sosa
2009 NMSC 056 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 2009)
State v. Swick
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State v. Sandoval
539 P.2d 1029 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1975)
State v. Martinez
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Aguilar v. State
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State v. Brazeal
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State v. Paredez
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State v. Barber
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Herron v. State
805 P.2d 624 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1991)
State v. Orosco
833 P.2d 1146 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1992)
State v. Fernandez
875 P.2d 1104 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1994)
State v. Padilla
1998 NMCA 088 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1998)
State v. Corneau
781 P.2d 1159 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1989)
Lytle v. Jordan
2001 NMSC 016 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 2001)
State v. Barrera
2001 NMSC 014 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 2001)
State v. Malloy
2001 NMCA 067 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2001)
State v. Martinez
2002 NMCA 036 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2002)
State v. Armijo
2014 NMCA 13 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2013)
State v. Crocco
2014 NMSC 016 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 2014)

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Bluebook (online)
State v. Bernal-Corral, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bernal-corral-nmctapp-2025.