State v. Lattin

428 P.2d 23, 78 N.M. 49
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1967
Docket8301, 8303
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 428 P.2d 23 (State v. Lattin) 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. Lattin, 428 P.2d 23, 78 N.M. 49 (N.M. 1967).

Opinion

OPINION

HENSLEY, Jr., Chief Judge, Court of Appeals.

James C. Lattin was charged by an Information in San Juan County in 1960 with the crime of rape. At the same time, in the same county, and in the same manner, he was charged with the crime of murder. The cases appeared on the criminal docket in the district court of San Juan County as numbers 1967 and 1968 respectively. In April, 1961, in cause number 1968 the defendant entered a plea of guilty to the charge of manslaughter and was thereafter sentenced by the court to serve a term of not less than one year nor more than ten years in the penitentiary. On the same day, the defendant in cause number 1967 entered a plea of guilty to the charge of rape and was thereafter sentenced by the court to serve a term of not less than one year nor more than ninety-nine years in the penitentiary. It was further ordered by the court that the sentences in the two cases would run concurrently. Since that time James C. Lattin has persistently sought to be released from confinement as is indicated in the following cases: Lattin v. Cox, 69 N.M. 498, 368 P.2d 911 (1962); Lattin v. First Judicial District Court, 70 N.M. 128, 371 P.2d 240 (1962); Lattin v. Cox, 71 N. M. 202, 377 P.2d 99 (1963); Lattin v. First Judicial District Court, 71 N.M. 203, 377 P.2d 100 (1963); Lattin v. State, 72 N.M. 116, 380 P.2d 851 (1963); Lattin v. State, 73 N.M. 395, 388 P.2d 398 (1964); Lattin v. Cox, 355 F.2d 397, (10th Cir. 1966).

In 1966, James C. Lattin filed motions in the sentencing court pursuant to the provisions of § 21-1-1 (93), N.M.S.A.1953, After a hearing on the motion and the entry of orders denying the relief in case numbers 1967 and 1968 the defendant now appeals. The cases have been docketed in this court as numbers 8301 and 8303. The relief sought and the grounds relied on being identical in both cases they have been consolidated here for briefing, argument and opinion.

The first point submitted by the appellant is that the lower court erred in refusing to adopt the appellant’s requested finding that the acts occurred on an Indian Reservation and therefore the trial court was without jurisdiction. Two witnesses, one of whom was the retained trial counsel for the appellant in 1961, testified that the scene of the crime was not on Indian land. The only conflicting evidence was given by the appellant to the effect that in his opinion the acts occurred within the Reservation. The finding in support of jurisdiction will not be disturbed. Eaton v. Cooke, 74 N.M. 301, 393 P.2d 329.

Next, the appellant asserts that he was deprived of his right to due process by having been arrested and held without a warrant. The motion filed before the sentencing court alleged that the movant had been held eight days without a warrant after his arrest. The appellant requested the court to find that the defendant had been held for five days without a warrant being served. The record discloses that the appellant was arrested by an officer on February 24th, and two days later was taken before a magistrate, on a completely different charge, which was later dismissed. Warrants were seen by the defendant on the 29th of February and he was served sometime between that date and March 3d when he was arraigned for murder and kidnapping. Under this point the appellant argues 1) lack of probable cause for arrest, 2) failure to obtain a warrant within a reasonable time after arrest, and 3) passage of time between arrest and preliminary hearing operated to deprive the magistrate of jurisdiction. The first proposition was not raised in the lower court. It is not a jurisdictional question and therefore cannot be raised ’ on appeal. Section 21-2-1 (20), N.M.S.A.1953. The second and third propositions argued under this point have been answered by this court in State v. Barreras, 64 N.M. 300, 328 P.2d 74, and State v. Wise, 58 N.M. 164, 267 P.2d 992. Although we do not'approve of delay in bringing a prisoner before a magistrate, the delay itself does not affect jurisdiction’ already acquired. The point thus fails.

Points three, four, five and six-urged by the appellant may- be treated together since they each contend that there-was a deprivation of constitutional rights. The appellant says 1) that 'his home and pick-up truck were illegally searched, 2) there was a- delay in bringing liim before a' magistrate,' 3) there was a denial of his right to counsel during interrogation, and-4) that he was subjected to cruel and. inhuman treatment during confinement. There is no dispute between the parties concerning the unlawful search. On the other hand, the items seized were never used in evidence. Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643, 81 S.Ct. 1684, 6 L.Ed.2d 1081. Not having used the evidence that was unlawfully seized there was no deprivation of right insofar as the prosecution of the criminal cases is concerned. The delay in taking the appellant before a magistrate would be a deprivation of his right under the rule of McNabb v. United States, 318 U.S. 332, 63 S.Ct. 608, 87 L.Ed. 819, if it was shown to have prejudiced the appellant’s position at trial. Here none was shown. The appellant entered pleas of guilty. Failure to furnish counsel during interrogation is a proposition treated by this court in Sanders v. Cox, 74 N.M. 524, 395 P.2d 353. In that case the objection was made to the lack of counsel prior to a preliminary examination. We held that the sentences imposed were not invalid unless there was also a showing that prejudice resulted. Here’ the appellant contends that there was prejudice in that he would not have entered pleas of guilty had he not made prior confessions to the law enforcement officers. In effect the sentencing court was expected to assume that the movant would not have made the admissions and confessions if counsel had been present. The trial court did not so find and we will not substitute our judgment for that of the trial court. Another constitutional right claimed by the appellant to have been violated was that cruel and inhuman treatment was imposed upon him during confinement. The evidence before the lower court .was .conflicting. The treatment complained of by the appellant alleged discomfort, that is-, denial of food,, water, and restroom facilities. The trial court refused to adopt the’ requested finding. The evidence being conflicting we refuse to hold that the sentencing court erred’, where the finding of the court is supported’" by substantial evidence. State v. Mesecher, 74 N.M. 510, 395 P.2d 233.

As indicated by both parties the seventh point presented by the appellant would seem to be the most important. The questions to be answered are whether 1) the trial court erred in finding that the defendant did voluntarily, intelligently and knowingly plead guilty, 2) the trial court erred in finding that the defendant was advised of his constitutional rights and the consequences of his plea, and 3) the trial court erred in finding that the defendant did enter a valid plea of guilty.

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Bluebook (online)
428 P.2d 23, 78 N.M. 49, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-lattin-nm-1967.