State v. Davis

591 P.2d 1160, 92 N.M. 563
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 1, 1979
Docket3694
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 591 P.2d 1160 (State v. Davis) 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. Davis, 591 P.2d 1160, 92 N.M. 563 (N.M. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinion

OPINION

WOOD, Chief Judge.

Defendant was convicted of kidnapping, extortion, aggravated battery, and aggravated assault. He was acquitted of assault with intent to commit a violent felony (murder). We discuss the issues that were briefed; issues listed in the docketing statement, but not briefed, are deemed abandoned. State v. Ortiz, 90 N.M. 319, 563 P.2d 113 (Ct.App.1977). The issues briefed group into four topics: (1) the hostage aspect of kidnapping; (2) the propriety of evidence as to the injury of one of the victims; (3) discovery of and limitations on the use of a witness’s statement; and (4) discovery of a grand jury transcript.

Tessier (Rolland Tessier) was a sign manufacturer; the name of the business was Tesco Signs, Inc. Defendant was employed by the firm as a janitor and truck driver. Scott had been employed by the firm, but had been fired the week before the crimes. Judy married Tessier subsequent to the events in question. At the time of the crimes she was Judy Higginbotham. Kristin Higginbotham was the daughter of Judy. Jennifer Boyd was Kristin’s friend. Kristin and Jennifer were six years old. Rhea Taylor was an acquaintance of Judy. Willis (Robert Willis) was an acquaintance of Rhea.

On May 26, 1977, defendant had been instructed to deliver a coffee table to Tessier’s residence. Tessier was at home preparing to hang a picture. Tessier went to get a hammer from his workshop; he saw the coffee table on the patio, the Tesco truck in the alley, and defendant loading trash on the truck. He also saw defendant’s car pull into the alley, driven by Scott. He saw Scott and defendant having a conversation. Having obtained the hammer, Tessier started back to the house. Before reaching the house, Scott came up to Tessier and sought, unsuccessfully, to get his job back.

After reentering the house, there was a banging on the back door. Scott was at the back door. Scott again inquired as to getting his job back. When Tessier stated that there was no way Scott would be reemployed, Scott pulled out a pistol, cocked it, pointed it at Tessier’s head, and told Tessier to put his hands on his head and back into the dining room. Scott told Tessier to call Judy; Tessier complied. Scott then told Tessier to call defendant; Tessier complied.

Upon defendant’s entry, Scott inquired about Tessier’s shotgun; defendant fetched it from a bedroom. Defendant handed the shotgun to Scott; Scott passed the pistol to defendant who held it on Judy. Up to this point, Scott had twice threatened to kill Tessier and once had threatened to kill Judy.

Scott demanded, and obtained, Tessier’s cash — $200. Scott then demanded a check for $5,000. When told there was not that much money in the bank, Scott had Tessier write a check to Scott for $3,000. Scott then told Tessier to tear up the check and write a check to defendant for $3,000. Defendant left to cash the check. While defendant was gone, Scott rambled on “about honkeys and whities, how the black man didn’t have a chance” and “repeated several times that he [Scott] wished I [Tessier] would do something so he could waste me away and blow me away because of something I had done to a friend of his.” Defendant returned in about twenty minutes, having unsuccessfully attempted to cash the check at two banks. About this time, Kristin and Jennifer returned from purchasing snow cones; they were kept with Tessier and Judy.

Scott wanted Tessier to write another check; Tessier had no more checks at the house. Defendant suggested Tessier call his business and authorize defendant to pick up Tessier’s checkbook. Tessier made the telephone call; defendant went after the checkbook. While defendant was on this errand, Scott went on and on about the terrible things Tessier had done to Scott’s friend, Arthur Lacey, “and that he was going to waste me for what I had done.”

Defendant returned with the checkbook; Scott and defendant wiped the checkbook for fingerprints. After Tessier balanced his checkbook, the balance in the checking account was $1,587. Scott and defendant conferred; Tessier was told to write a check for $1,500 to defendant. Defendant left to cash the check and returned with the money-

After Scott and defendant conferred, Scott told Tessier that everyone would depart in two vehicles. Defendant would take Judy, Kristin and Jennifer in the truck. Tessier would go with Scott in the car. Scott said “that if I [Tessier] tried to overpower him or tried to get away, Charles [defendant] will kill them [the three females], and if you try to escape, I will kill you.”

Before leaving defendant obtained a pistol from Tessier’s car. The group left, divided as previously indicated. Defendant and the three females were in defendant’s car; Scott and Tessier in Tessier’s car. Scott was holding a cocked pistol on Tessier and again threatened to kill Tessier for “ ‘what you did to Arthur Lacey’ ”. While driving, defendant’s car had a flat tire. The group returned to the house; defendant and the females transferred to the truck. After some driving in Roswell, the group went to the Bottomless Lakes, eventually stopping in a cul-de-sac at Figure Eight Lake “where they got us out of the car and the truck.”

The group went “behind the face of the hill”; Scott and defendant conferred; Tessier and the three females were directed to a flat area so that Scott and defendant were “ten to twelve feet above us, so they were looking down at us.” Scott and defendant then “had quite a long discussion” and started to move closer to the females. Defendant pointed his pistol at Tessier and told him to get away from Judy.

Thereafter both Scott and defendant took turns driving to an adjacent lake to check if people were around. Scott made two trips, defendant made four. During one of Scott’s trips, Tessier “tried to reason” with defendant, unsuccessfully. Defendant told Tessier he was going to waste him because Tessier treated defendant like a slave, was a racist “ ‘and besides that, you burned my blood brother Arthur Lacey.’ ” The context of this conversation, according to Tessier’s testimony, is that Tessier turned Lacey “ ‘into the police’ ” after Lacey threatened Tessier’s life.

After the trips to the adjacent lake, Scott said, “ ‘we can’t kill them here because there are too many people around, so let’s go back to the car.’ ” When the group returned to the car, another vehicle drove up. The occupants were Rhea and Willis. When they came up to the group, the guns were pointed at them also. Scott said, “ ‘we are going to have to waste all of you.’ ” When told to “go back up the hill”, Tessier refused. Scott said he would kill Judy if Tessier did not get up the hill. Tessier complied.

The group was then backed up to the edge of the lake. Scott and defendant raised their guns, Tessier heard a shot, felt a bullet go by his head, slipped back and fell into the lake. As he fell he heard more shots. Rhea and Willis had been shot. After the shooting, Scott and defendant drove back to Roswell in the Tesco truck. Scott killed himself before being apprehended by the police.

The Hostage Aspect of Kidnapping

Section 30-4-1, N.M.S.A.1978 states:

A.

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Related

State v. Gibson
828 P.2d 980 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1992)
State v. Crislip
796 P.2d 1108 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1990)
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702 P.2d 345 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1985)
State v. Blea
681 P.2d 1100 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1984)
State v. Lujan
659 P.2d 905 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1983)
State v. Mills
606 P.2d 1111 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1980)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
591 P.2d 1160, 92 N.M. 563, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-davis-nmctapp-1979.