State v. De Baca

541 P.2d 634, 88 N.M. 454
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 30, 1975
Docket2132
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 541 P.2d 634 (State v. De Baca) 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. De Baca, 541 P.2d 634, 88 N.M. 454 (N.M. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

OPINION

HENDLEY, Judge.

This is an interlocutory appeal following the denial of defendant’s motion to dismiss the indictment against him on double jeopardy grounds. We reverse.

Defendant was indicted for burglary, contrary to § 40A-16-3, N.M.S.A.1953 (2d Repl.Vol. 6, 1972). He was brought to trial on June 2, 1975. The trial lasted two days during which time both the state and the defendant presented evidence and rested their cases. Jury instructions had been settled. On the morning of the third day, one of the jurors, Mrs. Alice- Naranjo, brought to the attention of the court, in the presence of counsel, that her sister-in-law had received a phone call from an unidentified man who had asked questions relating to Juror Naranjo’s feelings about drug abuse. The phone call placed Juror Naranjo in an extreme state of fear and apprehension. After a discussion which included an attempt to allay Juror Naran-jo’s fears, an attempt to discover the perpetrator of the phone call and an inquiry into the propriety of a cautionary instruction, the trial court abruptly declared a mistrial. No objection was made to this action by either the defendant or the state. No alternate juror was available.

We quote extensively from the transcript of proceedings in the trial court’s chambers in order to clarify the issues on this appeal :

“THE COURT: Let the record show that the court is meeting with counsel in chambers outside the presence of the jury and the court has just been handed a note from Mrs. Alice Naranjo, wherein it states that the juror Alice Naranjo received a telephone call yesterday. Mrs. Naranjof,] Counsel are present and I wonder if you could explain to this just briefly what happened.
“MRS. ALICE NARANJO: Well, I didn’t get the telephone call, my sister-in-law received the call yesterday morning about ten o’clock and she said the person hadn’t identified himself or she didn’t get the name.
“THE COURT: She didn’t ask his?
“MRS. NARANJO: It was a man’s voice; a man’s voice and he said, he asked her if I had ever been convicted of a felony, if I have ever been in prison and he asked her if, how I felt about drug abuse and if I had ever been on drugs myself and if I knew anybody that had been on drugs. And I think she said he mentioned if I knew about the case they were working on for drug abuse or somebody that had been on drugs and was going to be tried on the trial on drugs or something. And he asked her if I was ever to testify against her like if she had been using drugs, if I was to testify that I knew that she had been using drugs and that if I was to be able to give a fair and impartial opinion about her since she was my sister-in-law. And they asked if I was ever capable of lying on the jury if anybody was to come up and ask me, but I don’t know if they meant if they were to pay me if I would lie or if I would lie just for my ownself being you know for my own [consciousness] to save myself, you know. And that was about all that she could remember that he told her.
“ * if *
“THE COURT: Mrs. Naranjo, I want to thank you for reporting this matter to the court as the court instructed you and the other jurors at the outset if you did receive any communications about the case, the appropriate thing to do is just as you have done, is to report it. Now, let me just state to you Mrs. Naranjo that this should have no bearing whatsoever upon your verdict as a juror.
“MRS. NARANJO: Oh, yes I understand.
“THE COURT: And you should set this aside and any consideration of the matters that will be presented the jury to consider and you should be fair and impartial to both the State and the Defense and this should not in any manner influence your verdict either for or against the State or the Defense.
“MRS. NARANJO: Yes, I understand that.
“THE COURT: And I would request and direct that you carefully follow the instructions that the court will read you and your consideration of the matters that will be presented to the jury to disregard this and in no way allow it to influence your verdict and either for or against either party.
“ * * if
“THE COURT: * * * [A]t this time I will ask that you not discuss the matters with the other jurors and you can return then to the jury room where the other jurors are waiting.
“MRS. NARANJO: Is it customary though for lawyers before a case is coming up that they have a listing of all jurors, do they investigate sometimes so that they can have an impartial jury?
“THE COURT: It is not an uncommon practice for either the State or Defense or even in several cases for an attorney to make a check of the jurors to find out something about them so that it will help them evaluate the matters and this is customary practice. It is followed not only in this district but throughout the state and nation and it in no way indicates any intention on either or any of the parties to in any way influence the verdict of jurors or individual jurors. It’s simply a matter that allows the attorney to find out something about the individual juror that may not be contained in the questionaire [sic]. Thank you very much.
“MRS. NARANJO: Well, what would happen, well, like my husband works nights and sometimes if anybody were to go to my house?
“THE COURT: Well, you would have the right to inform the authorities and no one has the right to go to your home without your permission.
“MRS. NARANJO: They can contact you by phone but they can’t go to your house and ask you direct questions like that.
“THE COURT: That is correct.
“MRS. NARANJO: Okay.
“THE COURT: Thank you again.
“(WHEREUPON MRS. NARANJO WENT BACK TO THE JURY ROOM AND THE FOLLOWING PROCEEDINGS WERE CONTINUED IN THE JUDGE’S CHAMBERS)
“THE COURT: * * * Now, I would like to get to the bottom of this gentlemen. * * *
“MR. BUDAGHER: Your Honor, the State hasn’t contacted anyone nor would we do that.
“MR. GINSBURG: [Defense Counsel] I haven’t contacted them but I think from what she said, I have a feeling that it was the Public Defender’s Office because I know they have a drug case coming up * * * ^
<< * * *
“THE COURT: Then gentlemen, I feel in light of the matters that have been disclosed to the court by Mrs. Naranjo, that an appropriate precautionary instruction should be given to the jury regarding inquires [sic] made by counsel prior to the case.

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Bluebook (online)
541 P.2d 634, 88 N.M. 454, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-de-baca-nmctapp-1975.