State v. Mojarro Padilla

483 P.2d 549, 107 Ariz. 134, 1971 Ariz. LEXIS 249
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedApril 2, 1971
Docket2102
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 483 P.2d 549 (State v. Mojarro Padilla) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona 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. Mojarro Padilla, 483 P.2d 549, 107 Ariz. 134, 1971 Ariz. LEXIS 249 (Ark. 1971).

Opinion

CAMERON, Justice.

This is an appeal from a jury verdict and judgment of guilty to murder in the 2nd degree. §§ 13-451, 13-452, and 13-453 A.R.S. The defendant was sentenced to a term of not less than twenty nor more than twenty-five years in the Arizona State Prison.

We are called upon to answer seven questions:

1. Whether the motion to suppress the evidence was improperly denied.

2. Whether the court erred in refusing to strike the prospective jury panel.

3. Whether the granting of a mistrial and excusing the jury placed defendant once in jeopardy and was the granting of mistrial error.

4. Whether the trial court erred in refusing to stay all proceedings upon the filing of a petition of habeas corpus.

5. Whether refusal to furnish defense counsel with an expert in Spanish was error.

6. Whether the trial court erred in denying a directed verdict of acquittal.

7. Whether it was error to refuse to give the defendant’s requested instruction Number 25.

The facts necessary for a determination of the matter on appeal are as follows. Defendant, the victim, Juan Frausto Ramirez, together with Carlos Torres and Ignacio “Nacho” Valasquez, had several drinks while passing an evening at the El Dorado in Tucson. At approximately 1:00 a. m. on 17 March 1969, they ate together in the restaurant portion of the El Dorado and prepared to leave. While the testimony hereafter is controverted, it would appear that, at some disputed location, de *136 fendant and the victim argued over gas money. In response to verbal abuse by Ramirez, defendant struck the victim in the face knocking him to the ground. The defendant then re-entered his car with Carlos and “Nacho”. Thereupon, Ramirez tossed a rock through the windshield of the automobile defendant was driving and took flight. The car followed the victim — with lights out — to a nearby desert area. Pursuit terminated when the victim was caught on foot near some railroad tracks. At this location he was repeatedly struck with a rock until dead. Conflicting accounts of culpability were given; defendant alleging Carlos had inflicted the mortal blows by stomping; Carlos alleging defendant was to blame.

Defendant was placed under arrest at his home on the afternoon of the 17th. His sister-in-law translated the “Miranda warnings” to him at police request (Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 [1966]). A search, pursuant to a signed “consent to search” form, disclosed defendant’s clothing. Blood spots thereon matched the victim’s group and type as did the blood on the rock. Statements were obtained by the police and defendant was held on an open charge of murder.

On 13 August 1969 the cause originally came for trial in Superior Court. A jury was selected and sworn to try the cause. The court was recessed until 9:30 a. m., 14 August 1961. The Deputy County Attorney became seriously ill and the cause was continued on the 14th, 15th, and 18th of August. A 15 September date was tentatively set, by stipulation. On 20 August, with the Deputy County Attorney once again present, the court declared a mistrial for the reasons that one juror was irrevocably committed to a move to Phoenix on the second day of September and the “tenure” of several others would lapse prior to the anticipated completion date of the trial. No alternate juror had been seated. No further proceedings were had on the cause before the first jury. The matter was tried before a new jury and a verdict rendered on 10 October 1969.

WAS THE MOTION TO SUPPRESS PROPERLY DENIED?

Defendant, in his motion to suppress, requested that the court suppress both oral and written statements of the accused and all physical evidence seized in the search of defendant’s premises. In support of this contention, he alleges his being a Mexican native with a limited knowledge of English, together with an inept translation of those rights by his youthful sister-in-law, resulted in a non-intelligent and therefore involuntary waiver of his rights. The same ground is asserted as reason for vitiating the signing of the “consent to search” form.

It is uncontroverted that his sister-in-law did, in fact, translate the Miranda warnings to the defendant, upon police request, immediately upon his being placed under arrest. The testimony of a Spanish-speaking officer is as follows:

“Q What happened after you heard this conversation ?
“A I asked the Defendant if the detectives had read a little card off to him and he stated they had, and he also commented his sister-in-law had explained it to him, and I asked him if he understood what was read on the card and he stated yes, and I told him that this read that we could get an attorney for him, and he stated he didn’t want an attorney, and I asked him if he still wanted to talk to us about it and he stated he didn’t want an attorcomment, I don’t recall exactly what it was but something to the effect that he had nothing to hide and would talk with us.
“Q Do you speak Spanish ?
"A Yes.
“Q Was this conversation you had with him in Spanish?
*137 “A Yes.”

As to the signing of the “consent to search” form the officer testified:

“Q Will you explain to us what happened in this regard ?
“A * * * I asked him if he wanted to sign them and he stated yes, then he asked me to explain the consent to search warrant, that he did not understand it completely, so I explained to him what the consent to search warrants were.
"Q How did you do this, in English or Spanish ?
“A In Spanish. Then I read the consent to search warrants to him and explained in Spanish and asked him if he understood them and wanted to sign them and he said, yes.
“Q What did you explain about these forms to him ?
“A I explained to him it was his constitutional right to refuse to sign the forms and to allow the police to search his house or any of his premises. That he did not have to sign them, and if he signed them and we found anything that would connect him with the incident, that it could be used against him in court.”

A review of the record on appeal indicates ample evidence to support the finding by the trial court that “the defendant was adequately advised of his constitutional rights in both Spanish and English, and that all oral statements made by the Defendant on March 17, 1969, are voluntary statements beyond a reasonable doubt”, and that the search form was freely, voluntarily, and understanding signed. State v. Farmer, 97 Ariz. 348, 400 P.2d 580 (1965); State v. Tigue, 95 Ariz. 45, 386 P.2d 402 (1963); Cipres v. United States, 343 F.2d 95 (9th Cir. 1965); Johnson v.

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Bluebook (online)
483 P.2d 549, 107 Ariz. 134, 1971 Ariz. LEXIS 249, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mojarro-padilla-ariz-1971.