State v. Minez

2003 MT 344, 82 P.3d 1, 318 Mont. 478, 2003 Mont. LEXIS 805
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 15, 2003
Docket02-232
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 2003 MT 344 (State v. Minez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana 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. Minez, 2003 MT 344, 82 P.3d 1, 318 Mont. 478, 2003 Mont. LEXIS 805 (Mo. 2003).

Opinions

CHIEF JUSTICE GRAY

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

¶1 A jury convicted Cory Minez of criminal production of dangerous drugs and use or possession of property subject to criminal forfeiture. The Twentieth Judicial District Court, Lake County, entered judgment and Minez appeals. We affirm.

¶2 We address the following issues:

¶3 1. Did the District Court abuse its discretion in denying Minez’s motion for substitution of counsel?

¶4 2. Do Minez’s convictions of producing methamphetamine and possession of glassware and chemicals used to produce methamphetamine violate his rights against double jeopardy?

¶5 3. Did the District Court illegally sentence Minez as a persistent felony offender?

BACKGROUND

¶6 On the morning of November 2, 2000, officers from the Flathead County Sheriffs Office and the Northwest Drug Task Force searched a home and vehicles belonging to Minez’s ex-wife, Cora, in Poison, [480]*480Montana. During the search of the home, the officers noticed a strong chemical smell they identified with the production of methamphetamine. They found numerous items-in various rooms of the home and in two cars parked outside-which they identified as related to the production of methamphetamine and which later tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine and chemicals constituting immediate precursors to methamphetamine.

¶7 The officers located Minez in a downstairs bedroom of the home. They arrested him, and the State of Montana charged him with use or possession of property subject to criminal forfeiture and criminal production of dangerous drugs.

¶8 Minez’s first trial ended in a mistrial when a juror became sick and there were no alternate jurors. Just before his subsequent jury trial in January of 2002, Minez moved for substitution of counsel, but the court denied his motion.

¶9 At the trial, the State presented testimony by Flathead County and Northwest Drug Task Force officers and a chemist from the Montana State Crime Laboratory concerning the items and chemicals found at the house and in the vehicles. Three informants also testified for the State.

¶10 A neighbor of Cora’s testified she had observed Minez apparently living at Cora’s house beginning in the summer of 2000. According to the neighbor, Cora, Cora’s boyfriend and a teenage daughter also lived there. She testified there was a lot more traffic to and from the house after Minez moved in, and everyone except Minez appeared to be gone during the day. The neighbor had seen Minez using two vehicles parked outside the house on many occasions, and observed that he often backed one car up to the house to load and unload items from the trunk. She testified she had seen a funnel attached to surgical tubing in the open trunk of one of the cars.

¶11 The neighbor’s husband, a volunteer firefighter who had been trained as a first responder for methamphetamine labs, also testified. He stated that, on a number of occasions, he had observed Minez taking items wrapped in white plastic out of the trunk and into the house, and taking a gym bag back and forth from the car. He testified that when his wife told him she had seen the funnel and tubing, he became concerned because he knew these items could be connected with a methamphetamine lab.

¶12 An acquaintance of Minez who was incarcerated at the Dawson County Correctional Facility at the time of trial also testified. The acquaintance admitted having told a detective Minez was [481]*481manufacturing methamphetamine at Cora’s house. He denied having told the officer Minez had offered him methamphetamine and that he had seen the methamphetamine lab and iodine crystals and glass tubing in the house. He also denied having prepared a rough diagram, which was introduced into evidence, of the layout of the interior of the house for the officer. The acquaintance acknowledged that the prison grapevine is far-reaching and prisoners identified as “snitches” are treated badly by other prisoners.

¶13 The jury found Minez guilty of both charges, and the District Court sentenced him and entered judgment. Minez appeals.

ISSUE 1

¶14 Did the District Court abuse its discretion in denying the motion for substitution of counsel?

¶15 Atrial court’s ruling on a request for substitution of appointed counsel is within that court’s discretion and, absent an abuse of discretion, we will not disturb it. State v. Gallagher, 2001 MT 39, ¶ 4, 304 Mont. 215, ¶ 4, 19 P.3d 817, ¶ 4 (Gallagher II). In reviewing such a ruling, we first determine whether the court made an adequate initial inquiry into the complaints; if so, we then review the court’s decision on whether the complaints are seemingly substantial. If the court concludes sifter an adequate initial inquiry that the defendant has failed to present seemingly substantial complaints, then it need not conduct an additional hearing. State v. Gallagher, 1998 MT 70, ¶ 15, 288 Mont. 180, ¶ 15, 955 P.2d 1371, ¶ 15 (Gallagher I).

¶16 In his pretrial motion asking the District Court to appoint new counsel to represent him, Minez stated his court-appointed attorney, Ben Anciaux, had “not provided effective assistance” and had “done things that were not with the permission or at the request of Defendant that have prejudiced Defendant.” The court held a pretrial hearing on various motions, including this one, and asked Minez to explain his reasons for filing this motion. Minez elaborated that he felt Anciaux had prejudiced him by waiving his speedy trial right and by requesting a mental evaluation without his knowledge or permission. He also stated Anciaux had not followed through on interviewing witnesses or providing him with copies of documents. Minez did not, however, identify the alleged witnesses or outline the witnesses’ potential testimony. In response to the court’s inquiry if there was anything else, Minez answered “No, sir.”

¶17 Ruling from the bench, the District Court noted it had observed Anciaux during the trial which ended in a mistrial and had seen [482]*482“absolutely nothing” to indicate ineffective assistance or a failure to prepare for trial. It voiced concern that Minez also had filed a motion to dismiss the charges against him on speedy trial grounds, and predicted the first thing a replacement defense counsel would do would be to ask for more time to prepare for trial. The court stated it had every indication Anciaux was acting in Minez’s best interest, and found no “seemingly substantial complaints made by the defendant.” Observing that there appeared to be a communication problem between Minez and Anciaux, the District Court expressed hope it could be overcome. Finally, it was clear to the court that Minez’s “present attorney is not only competent but he’s prepared to try this case.” The court denied the motion for appointment of new counsel.

¶18 Minez argues on appeal that the District Court inadequately considered his argument that Anciaux had a conflict of interest in representing him. The basis for the alleged conflict is that, in another criminal proceeding in which Anciaux represented Minez, Minez had asserted that Anciaux rendered ineffective assistance of counsel.

¶19 An appellant may not change legal theories on appeal or raise issues which were not raised in the trial court. State v. Ely, 2003 MT 140, ¶ 9, 316 Mont. 169, ¶ 9, 69 P.3d 1189, ¶ 9 (citations omitted).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2003 MT 344, 82 P.3d 1, 318 Mont. 478, 2003 Mont. LEXIS 805, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-minez-mont-2003.