State v. Lopez

442 P.2d 594, 79 N.M. 282
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedJune 3, 1968
Docket8496
StatusPublished
Cited by47 cases

This text of 442 P.2d 594 (State v. Lopez) 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. Lopez, 442 P.2d 594, 79 N.M. 282 (N.M. 1968).

Opinion

OPINION

MOISE, Justice.

Appellant was charged with first degree murder and was convicted of voluntary manslaughter.

There is some confusion and conflict in the proof as presented at the trial. However, our review of the facts is limited to a determination of whether the verdict is supported by substantial evidence when viewed in a light most favorable to the State, and with all permissible inferences indulged in support of the verdict. State v. Weber, 76 N.M. 636, 417 P.2d 444 (1966); State v. Crouch, 75 N.M. 533, 407 P.2d 671 (1965). With this in mind and in this light, we briefly review the pertinent facts.

On the night of the offense appellant was eighteen years of age and was working as an attendant at a filling station in Socorro. During the evening decedent, who was a long time acquaintance and friend, and about appellant’s age, pulled into the filling station and proceeded to cuss appellant for no reason known to appellant, although appellant admits previous difficulty with'decedent. Later that same evening decedent, with two companions in his car, pulled into the driveway at appellant’s home immediately behind appellant’s car, got out, walked over and opened the left-hand door next to where appellant was sitting behind the wheel of his car, and almost instantly a shot was fired and decedent fell. Decedent’s two companions went to where decedent had fallen and, although some disagreement exists as to what was then said by appellant, there is testimony that he said to one of decedent’s companions, “Get him out of my yard,” and “Do you want to die, too, fat man?” Appellant testified that he did not intend to shoot decedent; did not know how or why the gun went off, but that decedent had grabbed hold of his jacket and right arm in-such a- manner as to possibly cause it to discharge. -Appellant testified that he and his half-brother had come from the K.C. Hall to appellant’s home where their father had directed them to pick up a gun which he had left there that afternoon and bring it to him at the Hall; that they had taken the gun and' placed it on the front seat of the car between, the two of them; that when they couldn’t start the car to return to the K.C. Hall they were about to return the gun to the house because they did not want to leave it in the car; and that it was just at this instant that the car door was jerked open and appellant was grabbed by decedent.

Concerning his feelings at the time, appellant testified, as disclosed by the following excerpts:

“Q Were you afraid of Jimmy?
A Not in any special way that I know of.
Q You didn’t fear that Jimmy would kill you or anything?
A No sir.
Q You weren’t afraid of meeting him on the street, were you?
A No sir.
Q Then you wasn’t [sic] in fear of your life, were you?
A Not exactly, no sir. I wasn’t in fear of my life.
* * * * * *
Q Tony, you testified on direct and again on cross examination as to this incident that happened at Polvadera, and I believe you said you weren’t afraid of Jimmy, is that right ?
A Yes sir, I was not.
Q What do you mean you weren’t afraid of him?
A Well, not actually afraid of him.
Q At the time that happened in Polvadera you said he pulled a knife on you; were you afraid then?
A No sir.
Q Not afraid at all?
A Not at that time. They were acting like buddy-buddies with me.
Q When he pulled the knife, what did you think then ?
A I thought that’s the time to be scared, right then.
Q You were scared right then?
A Yes sir. But when you are walking out with them, and they seem to be your buddies, you’re not actually afraid.
Q You said you weren’t scared, you were scared right then, weren’t you ?
A Right then, at that moment, yes sir.
Q You were afraid you were going to get hurt?
A Yes sir.
Q What was your reaction when somebody suddenly jerked you out of the car?
MR. WAGGONER: Wait a minute, lie wasn’t jerked out of the car, I don’t think.
MR. DOUGLAS: I believe he testified he was jerked out of the car, partly out of the car.
MR. WAGGONER: You might rephrase your question.
Q What was your reaction when you were jerked partly out of the car?
A I was shocked.
Q What was your reaction then? At that time were you frightened, or how did you feel?
A Yes sir. When you have been pulled out of a car and you don’t know who it is, you’re going to be kind of scared, when somebody comes up behind you.
Q You said you weren’t scared of Jimmy, you meant just as a * * *
A I mean when you see a person face to face you’re not actually afraid of him unless he tries to pull something on you.
Q At the time that these incidents happened, you mean you were not scared? When he pulled the knife on you?
A I was scared at the moment that he pulled it out.
Q What was your reaction when he tried to pull you out of the car?
A I imagine I was scared then.”

Further, it appears that at the hospital, upon being asked by a police officer concerning what happened, appellant answered, “I shot him” and when asked, “How come ?” he replied, “He was trying to beat me up.”

Appellant requested and the court gave an instruction stating the appellant was entitled to a defense of self-defense. The jury was fully instructed on the law of self-defense which was in no way objected to by appellant.

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442 P.2d 594, 79 N.M. 282, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-lopez-nm-1968.