State v. Gonzales

642 P.2d 210, 97 N.M. 607
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 25, 1982
Docket5382
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 642 P.2d 210 (State v. Gonzales) 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. Gonzales, 642 P.2d 210, 97 N.M. 607 (N.M. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

OPINION

WOOD, Judge.

Defendant appeals his conviction of battery on a peace officer. Section 30-22-24, N.M.S.A.1978. The issues involve the trial court’s refusal: (1) to instruct on battery as a lesser included offense and (2) to give approved instructions on self-defense.

Defendant was involved in a fight at a bar. Officers, responding to a “fight” call, observed defendant, with others, in a car in the bar’s parking lot. Defendant was bleeding from his head; during the fight he had been struck on the head with a beer bottle.

Officer Cassady ordered those in the car to get out and asked if anyone wanted to file criminal charges in connection with the fight. The response was negative. The people in defendant’s group were directed to remain while officers checked with people inside the bar. Cassady had started into the bar when his lieutenant emerged from the bar and directed Cassady to “ID all the subjects I was talking to.”

Cassady returned to defendant’s group and asked for identification; defendant refused to provide identification. Cassady placed defendant under arrest for concealing identity, a petty misdemeanor. Section 30-22-3, N.M.S.A.1978. When Cassady started to place handcuffs on defendant a fight occurred. Defendant’s conviction is based on this fight.

Defendant was also charged with aggravated assault in connection with the bar fight. The jury acquitted defendant of the assault charge.

Failure to instruct on battery as a lesser included offense.

Simple battery, § 30-3-4, N.M.S.A.1978, is a lesser offense included within the offense of battery upon a peace officer, § 30-22-24, supra. State v. Melendrez, 91 N.M. 259, 572 P.2d 1267 (Ct.App.1977); see State v. Wardlow, 95 N.M. 585, 624 P.2d 527 (1981).

To commit battery upon a peace officer, the officer must be in the lawful discharge of his duties. Section 30-22-24, supra. An officer is in the lawful discharge of his duties if he is acting within the scope of what he is employed to do. State v. Doe, 92 N.M. 100, 583 P.2d 464 (1978).

The approved instruction on peace officer battery, UJI Crim. 22.10, Judicial Pamphlet 19, N.M.S.A.1978 (orig. pamphlet) provides only that the peace officer be performing his duties; the word “lawful” is not used. The committee commentary to UJI Crim. 22.00, Judicial Pamphlet 19, supra, states “that the issue of lawfulness was almost always a question of law to be decided by the judge.” See State v. Rhea, 93 N.M. 478, 601 P.2d 448 (Ct.App.1979). The difference between the approved instruction on simple battery, UJI Crim. 3.50, Judicial Pamphlet 19, supra, and UJI Crim. 22.10 is that the officer must have been performing his duties. See State v. Rhea, supra. There is no issue as to “lawful" discharge of duties in this case; the peace officer battery instruction given and the simple battery instruction refused were approved instructions.

In defining lawful discharge or performance of duties, State v. Doe, supra, pointed out there was no evidence that the officers, in that case, were using excessive force. If there was evidence that the peace officer used excessive force, there was a factual issue for the jury as to whether the officer acted within the scope of what he was employed to do, and thus a factual issue as to whether the officer was performing his duties. If there was a factual issue as to performance of duties, defendant was entitled to his requested instruction on simple battery as a lesser included offense. State v. Brown, 93 N.M. 236, 599 P.2d 389 (Ct.App.1979); State v. Melendrez, supra; compare State v. Wardlow, supra.

The Attorney General contends that the simple battery instruction was properly refused because there was no evidence justifying an instruction on simple battery as a lesser included offense. The Attorney General’s brief quotes certain testimony of defendant as support for this argument; however, other testimony is omitted with the result that the testimony relied on has been distorted. See State v. Manus, 93 N.M. 95, 597 P.2d 280 (1979). We remind those who prepared the brief that assistants to the Attorney General, like trial prosecutors, have the duty to be fair. State v. Hill, 88 N.M. 216, 539 P.2d 236 (Ct.App.1975).

The evidence is uncontradicted that the arrest occurred because defendant refused to provide identification to Cassady. The Attorney General asserts that defendant testified that he was resisting arrest. Defendant’s complete answer was: “I was just resisting arrest, or just failing to show identification at the whole point.” It is undisputed that defendant knew that Cassady was a police officer and was investigating the bar fight. The Attorney General argues that in light of these facts there was no factual issue as to whether Cassady was performing his duties. This argument overlooks evidence that Cassady used excessive force.

After being arrested for failure to provide identification, it is undisputed that Cassady grabbed defendant’s left arm. Defendant testified that Cassady's intentions were obvious; that Cassady was going to put defendant’s hands behind his back and handcuff him. Before this was done, it is undisputed that Cassady hit defendant in the face. Defendant fought back; his fighting back resulted in the charge of peace officer battery.

Cassady testified “as I grabbed his [defendant’s] left wrist, I noticed that he had his right hand made into a fist, and he crouched to start coming around. I then struck him in the side of the face.” Cassady testified that he struck defendant as “a distractionary move.” Cassady testified that defendant was belligerent and that he “knew there would be a struggle” when defendant refused to produce identification. An inference from the testimony is that, of the participants in the fight, only defendant and his group were asked for identification.

Defendant testified that he refused to produce identification because of the way Cassady approached him; that Cassady was belligerent and called defendant a “punk.” Defendant testified that he “might” have made a fist after Cassady grabbed his arm, but denied that he went into a crouch. Defendant testified that before Cassady hit him, defendant did not touch Cassady and was not going to hit Cassady.

It is undisputed that Cassady struck the first blow; after being hit by Cassady, defendant fought back. It is also undisputed that defendant went peacefully to the police station, without handcuffs, with another police officer.

The trial court recognized that there was a factual issue as to whether Cassady used excessive force—the so-called “distractionary” blow to defendant’s head that started the fight. We agree. Mead v. O'Connor, 66 N.M. 170, 344 P.2d 478

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Hernandez v. Parker
New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2022
Trujillo v. City of Hobbs
D. New Mexico, 2019
State v. Tardy
New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2019
Youbyoung Park v. Gaitan
680 F. App'x 724 (Tenth Circuit, 2017)
Jonas v. BOARD OF COMM'RS OF LUNA COUNTY
699 F. Supp. 2d 1284 (D. New Mexico, 2010)
State v. Nozie
168 P.3d 756 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2007)
State v. Ellis
2007 NMCA 37 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2007)
State v. Hernandez
2004 NMCA 45 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2004)
State v. Hill
2001 NMCA 094 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2001)
State v. Prince
1999 NMCA 010 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1998)
Fugere v. State, Taxation & Revenue Department, Motor Vehicle Division
897 P.2d 216 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1995)
Fugere v. STATE, TAX. & REV. DEPT., MVD
897 P.2d 216 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1995)
State v. Hilliard
760 P.2d 799 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1988)
State v. Shafer
698 P.2d 902 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1985)
State v. Padilla
678 P.2d 706 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1983)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
642 P.2d 210, 97 N.M. 607, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gonzales-nmctapp-1982.