State v. Carter

275 P.2d 847, 58 N.M. 713
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 27, 1954
Docket5785
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 275 P.2d 847 (State v. Carter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Carter, 275 P.2d 847, 58 N.M. 713 (N.M. 1954).

Opinion

COMPTON, Justice.

Appellant was convicted by a jury of Lea County of having violated the provisions of § 61-1011, New Mexico Statutes Annotated, 1941 Compilation, and he appeals. The section in part reads:

“It shall be unlawful to drink or consume alcoholic liquors, or for any person who is the owner or proprietor to sell, serve, furnish or permit the drinking or consumption of alcoholic liquors in any public dance hall, pool room, bowling alley, street, state or federal building, or in any other public place except establishments having a license to dispense alcoholic liquors. * * * ”

It is first contended the court erred in admitting in evidence appellant’s confession made at the time of his arrest for the reason the corpus delicti of the offense charged had not been otherwise proven. Jt is a well settled rule that unless the corpus delicti of the offense charged has been otherwise established, a conviction cannot be sustained solely on the extra judicial confession of an accused. In the case before us, however, the evidence proves the commission of the offense charged independent of the confession. Appellant is the owner and proprietor of a cafe in Hobbs known as Cocoanut Grove. The corpus delicti of the offense charged is knowingly permitting the consumption of intoxicating liquor by appellant in his cafe without a license to do so.

On the afternoon of October 23, 1950, two police officers, Palmer and Weathers, went to appellant’s place as a routine checkup and what actually occurred at the time and place is well stated by officer Palmer and corroborated by Weathers.

By district attorney:

“Q. Mr. Palmer, tell the Court just what was taking place in this establishment at the time the arrest was made. A. Yes, sir. On the afternoon that Mr. Carter was arrested, I drove up to the front of the Cocoanut Grove Cafe, and just as I drove up outside I saw a girl rush toward the back end. I went in the front door and continued on through to the rear dining room and, just as I reached the rear dining room, I saw the girl going through another door toward the rear. She had a fellow by the hand — one hand, and he had a can of beer in the other. So I followed them on through that room, and the fellow was just setting the can of beer — just about to set the can of beer down by the bed. I told him to pick it up and come back out into the dining room — both he and the girl; I wanted to talk to them. After we came back out into the dining room, there was still another fellow at the table where this fellow had been sitting, and I talked to the fellows, and I talked to the girl. And then I called Mr. Carter. He was sitting at the front of the cafe. So when Mr. Carter came back there, I asked him why he had permitted the consumption of alcoholic beverages in this cafe which was an unlicensed establishment, because I had warned him a short while before against such things. I had a copy of the law with me, I read it to him, and I asked him if he fully understood it. He said he did. I told him that any time in the future anybody was caught consuming any alcoholic beverages in his establishment that he would be as much in violation of the law as the people consuming it, and he would be arrested. )»C % ^ JjC *
“Q. What answer did Mr. Carter make to your question? ij; ‡ ^ s|c ifc
“A. Well, after I asked Mr. Carter, ‘Why did you permit consumption of alcoholic beverages in the cafe,’ after he had been warned as to that, he said, ‘Well, it’s no use arguing. I just got caught.’ ”

The appellant, the two customers, also Pearline Stafford, the girl who was later found to be a waitress, were arrested at the time and place, and charged under the statute, after which all except appellant entered pleas of guilty. Incidentally, the beer served by the waitress was cold. Also on the outside of the building there were a lot of empty beer cans. While the presence of clearer proof would have been desirable, the facts and circumstances tend to prove that appellant had a guilty knowledge that intoxicating liquor was being consumed upon his premises. Moreover, appellant’s confession being made at the time of his arrest and at the place where and when the liquor was consumed, was a part of the res gestae and for that reason was admissible. Riley v. State, 27 Ala.App. 376, 172 So. 680.

It is next argued the court erred in admitting hearsay evidence. On cross-examination by the defense, the witness Palmer was interrogated about whether he had asked another girl in the cafe if she were involved in serving the beer. To understand the. claimed error fully, it will be helpful to quote the testimony at length as well as the colloquy between court and counsel.

By Mr. Quinn:

“Q. Did you ask her whether she was involved or what then ? A. I don’t remember the exact conversation that took place there but, after I had talked to several people and the Stafford Girl and Mr. Carter, I believe this other girl told me that she got the beer that she served to the Selby’s out of the icebox in the kitchen.
“Q. Now, wait just a minute. Now, let’s go back over that. What was that? A. After I talked to the Selby’s and the Stafford Girl the Stafford Girl—
“Q. Now, you can’t testify to that. That is a statement made by a third person and—
“The Court: You asked him, Mr. Quinn.
“Mr. Quinn: Yes, but then I asked him whether he was in this room, whether he talked to this woman.
“The Court: Very well, but you musn’t invite the answers if you don’t want them.
“Mr. Quinn: Yes sir, but he is attempting to get some hearsay evidence in here in answer to my question.
“The Court: All right.
“A. I’m only trying to answer your question.
“Q. Now, you talked to this other woman that was in there, is that right ? jfi >fC ‡ # Jft *
“Q. You did take Pearline Stafford in, didn’t you? A. Yes, sir. I told Mr. Carter I couldn’t do that because the girl had admitted to me selling and serving the beer to the Selby’s, and I couldn’t do that because it wasn’t right.
“Mr. Quinn: Your Honor, the admission Pearline Stafford as to what she was doing or as to what she said is an admission of a third person here, and wasn’t in the presence of the defendant. I don’t see how that could be introduced in evidence. Now, if they want to put the evidence on as to what Pearline Stafford said, why Pearline Stafford apparently is right down there in Hobbs where she could be brought right up here, and placed on the stand, and she could give that testimony. But it shouldn’t be able to come in through this witness.
“Mr. Hanagan: If it please the Court, Mr. Quinn got it in through— by his own question. I don’t think it would be objective at this time.

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Related

State v. Sharp
430 P.2d 378 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1967)
State v. Paris
414 P.2d 512 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1966)
State v. Buchanan
412 P.2d 565 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1966)
State v. La Rue
353 P.2d 367 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1960)

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Bluebook (online)
275 P.2d 847, 58 N.M. 713, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-carter-nm-1954.