State v. Blue

1998 NMCA 135, 965 P.2d 945, 125 N.M. 826
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 14, 1998
DocketNo. 18637
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 1998 NMCA 135 (State v. Blue) 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. Blue, 1998 NMCA 135, 965 P.2d 945, 125 N.M. 826 (N.M. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

OPINION

APODACA, Judge.

{1} This is an appeal by the State from the district court’s dismissal of an indictment against Defendant. The district court dismissed the indictment because of the prosecutor’s failure to present additional evidence of Defendant’s polygraph test to the grand jury as direct exculpatory evidence. The State argues that dismissal was error. We agree and reverse.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

{2} The grand jury indicted Defendant for criminal sexual penetration by force or coercion and kidnapping of the victim. See NMSA 1978, §§ 30-9-11(0(2) (1995), 30-4-1(A)(3) (1995). At the grand jury proceeding, the prosecutor presented some evidence that Defendant took and passed a polygraph test and that the victim’s polygraph score was inconclusive. The prosecutor, however, did not present evidence of the polygrapher’s interview of Defendant, the written report of Defendant’s polygraph, or the polygrapher’s explanation of the test and of Defendant’s score.

{3} Defendant filed a motion to quash the indictment because of the prosecutor’s failure to present exculpatory evidence regarding Defendant’s polygraph test. See NMSA 1978, § 31-6-11(B) (1981) (stating that prosecutor shall provide exculpatory evidence to the grand jury). The district court initially denied the motion, and Defendant filed a motion to reconsider. On reconsideration, the district court quashed the indictment under the authority of State v. Hewitt, 108 N.M. 179, 182, 769 P.2d 92, 95 (Ct.App. 1988).

{4} Hewitt requires a defendant to satisfy a three-prong test to obtain dismissal of an indictment because of the state’s failure to present exculpatory evidence to the grand jury. First, a defendant must “establish demonstrable prejudice resulting from the acts or omissions of the prosecutor.” Id. Second, the evidence the prosecutor failed to present must directly negate the defendant’s guilt. Third, the evidence must be legally admissible at trial. Id. In this appeal, the State argues that Defendant’s proferred evidence does not satisfy the Hewitt test. We discuss all three prongs of the test to clarify the law under each prong, even though Defendant’s failure to satisfy any one of the prongs is fatal to a dismissal of the indictment.

II. DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review

{5} The district court’s dismissal of the indictment presents a matter of law reviewed de novo on appeal. See State v. Armijo, 118 N.M. 802, 811, 887 P.2d 1269, 1278 (Ct.App.1994) (district court’s dismissal of an indictment due to prosecutor’s alleged failure to present exculpatory information to grand jury is reviewed de novo).

B. Prejudice

{6} Under the first prong of the Hewitt test, Defendant must show that the prosecutor’s conduct infringed on the grand jurors’ independent judgment and the result would have been different had the conduct not occurred. See Hewitt, 108 N.M. at 184, 769 P.2d at 97. Defendant did not meet this burden. Defendant has not argued on appeal how the result would have differed in the absence of the prosecutor’s conduct.

{7} In fact, the grand jury was specifically informed that Defendant had passed the polygraph; telling the grand jury Defendant’s exact score would not have accomplished much more in the context of a probable cause determination. See State v. Penner, 100 N.M. 377, 379, 671 P.2d 38, 40 (Ct.App.1983) (holding that prejudice needed to be shown is that the missing evidence would have changed the vote on probable cause). Additionally, the grand jury did not have questions about the victim’s “inconclusive” score and how that score compared to Defendant’s passing score. The detective also informed the grand jury about Defendant’s version of the events. Thus, Defendant’s version that he knew the alleged victim and that he engaged in consensual sex with her was presented to and considered by the grand jury.

{8} Consequently, we hold that failure to present the polygrapher’s interview of Defendant, Defendant’s polygraph report, and explanation of his test and score did not prejudice Defendant.

{9} Because Defendant was not prejudiced by the prosecutor’s failure to present the evidence to the grand jury, Defendant has failed to meet the first Hewitt prong, and thus we hold that there was no due process violation. See Buzbee v. Donnelly, 96 N.M. 692, 702-06, 634 P.2d 1244, 1254-58 (1981) (implying that due process analysis for the withholding of evidence should consider effect on grand jury and prejudice to the defendant).

C. Direct Negation of Defendant’s Guilt

{10} The second prong of the Hewitt test requires Defendant to demonstrate that the omitted evidence directly negated his guilt. See id. at 182, 769 P.2d at 95. “Direct evidence is evidence which, if believed, proves the existence of the fact without inference or presumption.” Buzbee, 96 N.M. at 700, 634 P.2d at 1252. We hold that Defendant’s proferred evidence was not directly exculpatory.

{11} The polygraph evidence would not prove the existence of a fact without inference or presumption. This Court in State v. Anthony, 100 N.M. 735, 737 n. 2, 676 P.2d 262, 264 n. 2 (Ct.App.1983), explained:

A polygraph machine is a device [that] measures and records the changes in the examinee’s blood pressure or pulse rate, respiration rate and depth, and galvanic skin resistance while undergoing questioning. The theory underlying the use of such devices is that if an individual consciously responds untruthfully to questioning, the machine will detect physiological indications revealing a deceptive answer.

Consequently, the grand jury would have to infer from Defendant’s physiological reactions that he was probably telling the truth.

{12} Additionally, polygrapher’s letter acknowledges that his opinion was based on inferences:

Inferences about whether a person is being truthful or deceptive in answering the relevant questions are justified only when the person consistently produces autonomic physiological responses that are stronger to either control or relevant questions.

To negate Defendant’s guilt, the grand jury would have to presume that Defendant’s honest perception of the events was the objective truth.

{13} The grand jury would also have to assume that Defendant did not take countermeasures against the polygraph.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1998 NMCA 135, 965 P.2d 945, 125 N.M. 826, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-blue-nmctapp-1998.