State v. Johnson

571 P.2d 415, 91 N.M. 148
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 13, 1977
Docket2927
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 571 P.2d 415 (State v. Johnson) 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. Johnson, 571 P.2d 415, 91 N.M. 148 (N.M. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

OPINION

WOOD, Chief Judge.

Defendant appeals his conviction of forgery. We discuss: (1) discovery; (2) corpus delicti and sufficiency of the evidence; (3) scope of search; (4) refused instruction; and (5) prosecutor’s comments.

Several checks, credit cards and a CB radio were stolen from a car. Subsequently, one of the stolen checks was transferred at a music store for records and cash. The police received information that defendant was the one who transferred the check. A search warrant was obtained. During the search of defendant’s residence, defendant made an oral incriminatory statement to Officer Pacheco. The first three issues concern the admissibility of the officer’s testimony concerning defendant’s oral statement.

Discovery

The trial court had ordered the State to furnish defendant, ten days prior to trial, a list of the names and addresses of witnesses the State intended to call at trial. This was not done. Defendant objected to Officer Pacheco testifying because of the violation of the trial court order. The propriety of the trial court permitting the officer to testify involves Rule of Criminal Procedure 30.

The consequences of violating a discovery order are discretionary with the trial court. It may order the party to permit the discovery, grant a continuance, prohibit the nondisclosed witness from testifying or “enter such other order as it deems appropriate under the circumstances.” Rule of Criminal Procedure 30. State v. Smith, 88 N.M. 541, 543 P.2d 834 (Ct.App.1975); State v. Wilkins, 88 N.M. 116, 537 P.2d 1012 (Ct.App. 1975). The issue on appeal is whether the trial court abused its discretion. State v. Quintana, 86 N.M. 666, 526 P.2d 808 (Ct. App.1974).

Defendant asserts that the trial court erred in failing to grant a continuance to allow him sufficient time to properly investigate the testimony of the nondisclosed witnesses. Defendant sought such a continuance for two nondisclosed witnesses, but the trial court did not permit those two witnesses to testify. State v. Wilkins, supra. Defendant never sought a continuance in connection with the testimony of Officer Pacheco. State v. Smith, supra. The failure to grant a continuance which was not sought is not error.

Defendant did seek to prevent Officer Pacheco from testifying. There were four nondisclosed witnesses, including the two which the trial court would not permit to testify. The State had informed defendant that these witnesses would be called “some four days ago — actually only some two or three working days ago”.

Three other counts of the information had been severed from the forgery count a few days before trial. Officer Pacheco’s name had been listed on the information as a witness prior to the order which resulted in a trial solely on the forgery count. It is undisputed that defendant “was aware of the witnesses endorsed on the Criminal Information, and we assumed that — quite reasonably, that those were the witnesses they intended to call at this trial.” (Our emphasis.) Defendant would not give any effect to this statement because Officer Pacheco’s testimony at the preliminary hearing did not involve the forgery. However, defendant overlooks the fact that he assumed that Officer Pacheco would be a witness and, after being told that Officer Pacheco would be a witness, defendant never sought to interview Officer Pacheco.

The foregoing circumstances do not show an abuse of discretion by the trial court in permitting Officer Pacheco to testify. In these circumstances, there would not have been an abuse of discretion in denying a continuance if a continuance had been sought.

Corpus Delicti and Sufficiency of the Evidence

The forgery charged was § 40A-16-9(B), N.M.S.A.1953 (2d Repl. Vol. 6). Defendant asserts that an essential element of the crime was “that the check was passed by someone with knowledge that it was forged.” He claims that no evidence was introduced concerning this essential element other than Officer Pacheco’s testimony concerning defendant’s oral statement.

Defendant claims that the “knowledge” element was a part of the corpus delicti which could not be proved by his extra judicial statement. The contention is that because of the absence of other evidence, defendant’s oral statement should not have been admitted or alternatively, that even if the statement was properly admitted, the only proof of knowledge is the oral statement and, therefore, the evidence is insufficient to sustain the conviction.

It is undisputed that defendant is the person who transferred the stolen check. There is evidence, independent of defendant’s oral statement, concerning defendant’s knowledge. Defendant’s written statement is that he sold two “mag” wheels to a customer at a service station where defendant was working and received the check in payment. When defendant transferred the check at the music store, he told the assistant manager that it “was a payroll type check”. It is undisputed that no payee was named in the check. Defendant explained to the assistant manager that the payee was left blank because “the next day was to be a bank holiday and he needed the cash”. Defendant filled in the name of the music store as the payee. The check is described as not having the appearance of a payroll check and that the names of the payee and maker appear to have been written with the same pen and “looked pretty much the same”.

The foregoing evidence permits the inference that defendant knew the check was forged. To the extent that evidence of defendant’s knowledge, independent of the oral statement, was required to establish the corpus delicti, that evidence exists. However, we do not agree that defendant’s knowledge was part of the corpus delicti.

“The corpus delicti of a particular offense is established simply by proof that the crime was committed; the identity of the perpetrator is not material.” State v. Nance, 77 N.M. 39, 419 P.2d 242 (1966), cert. denied, 386 U.S. 1039, 87 S.Ct. 1495, 18 L.Ed.2d 605 (1967). The corpus delicti of the forgery charged in this case was established by proof that a forged instrument was knowingly transferred with intent to defraud. Evidence of defendant’s knowledge was not required to establish that the crime occurred. The corpus delicti was established in this case by proof that a stolen check, with the maker’s signature forged, was transferred with the representation that the check was a payroll check (thus a good check). State v. Gruender, 83 N.M. 327, 491 P.2d 1082 (Ct.App.1971).

Scope of Search

The search warrant authorized a search for items stolen from the car, and the instrumentalities and fruits of the crime. No claim is made that the search warrant was invalid. The claim is that in executing the warrant, the officers exceeded the scope of the search authorized and turned the search into an unauthorized general search.

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

Related

State v. Le Mier
2017 NMSC 17 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 2017)
State v. Montoya
861 P.2d 978 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1993)
State v. Hall
751 P.2d 701 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1987)
State v. Stallings
725 P.2d 1228 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1986)
State v. Deutsch
713 P.2d 1008 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1985)
State v. Chacon
675 P.2d 1003 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1983)
State v. Tomlinson
648 P.2d 795 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1982)
State v. Perrin
596 P.2d 516 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1979)
State v. Garcia
596 P.2d 264 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1979)
State v. Smith
591 P.2d 664 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1979)
State v. Padilla
581 P.2d 1295 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1978)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
571 P.2d 415, 91 N.M. 148, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-johnson-nmctapp-1977.