State v. Morales

466 P.2d 899, 81 N.M. 333
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 6, 1970
Docket399
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 466 P.2d 899 (State v. Morales) 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. Morales, 466 P.2d 899, 81 N.M. 333 (N.M. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinion

OPINION

SPIESS, Chief Judge.

Defendant, Gilbert Salas Morales, was convicted by a jury of armed robbery (§ 40A-16-2, N.M.S.A.1953, Repl.Vol. 6). This appeal is taken from the judgment on the verdict.

On March 30th, 1969, at approximately 11:00 o’clock P.M., Bennito Lujan was awakened by two persons who sought entry to his home. He turned on the light and admitted both of them. Upon entering the house they attacked Lujan, threatened him with a butcher knife, demanded and took a sum of money from him.

Lujan had known one of the assailants, a Raymundo Moreno Franco, for some time. He had seen the other assailant in the company of Franco at his home during the afternoon before the robbery and again during the robbery.

Two points are relied upon for reversal involving issues relating to a pre-trial identification of defendant by Lujan and the denial by the trial court of a request for a psychiatric examination. We will discuss these points in the order of their presentation in defendant’s brief.

By the first point defendant contends that his “constitutional rights were violated by the failure to advise him of his right to-have an attorney present at a pre-trial confrontation, and the court erred in denying-defendant’s motion to strike complainant’s, identification.”

Additionally, the argument is made that, the procedure employed in showing defendant to the victim, Lujan, was unnecessarily suggestive and conducive to mistaken-identification, resulting in a denial of due-process. A pre-trial motion presented by defendant was designed to preclude the victim, Lujan, from making an in-court identification of defendant.

The grounds of objection to the in-court identification are (1) that identification of defendant by the victim, Lujan,, would be predicated upon a lineup conducted without according defendant the benefit of the presence of counsel; and, (2) defendant was not advised of his right to have an attorney present at the lineup. Thus, defendant claims a violation of a Sixth Amendment right to counsel under Gilbert v. California, 388 U.S. 263, 87 S.Ct. 1951, 18 L.Ed.2d 1178 (1967); and United States v. Wade, 388 U.S. 218, 87 S.Ct. 1926, 18 L.Ed.2d 1149 (1967); and an illegal extrajudicial identification in violation of his right to due process of law under Stovall v_ Denno, 388 U.S. 293, 87 S.Ct. 1967, 18 L.Ed. 2d 1199 (1967).

An evidentiary hearing upon the pretrial motion was had out of the presence of the jury. In support of the motion, defendant presented the testimony of one witness, an Officer Barela, who was questioned by defendant, the prosecution and the court. In summary, Officer Barela’s testimony reveals the following:

The officers investigating the robbery, including Barela, suspected that defendant, Morales, had participated with Franco in robbing Lujan and sought an interview with Morales. During the morning following the robbery Morales was located at his home and there interviewed by Officer Barela. Upon meeting defendant the officers informed him that they were conducting an investigation relating to the robbery of Lujan and defendant was forewarned and advised of his rights in accordance with the requirements set forth in Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694, 10 A.L.R.3d 974 (1966).

Defendant expressly denied that he had participated in any manner in the robbery. Officer Barela then suggested that defendant confront the victim, Lujan, who was then at a doctor’s office located about a block from defendant’s home. Defendant agreed to go with the officers to see and be seen by Lujan. Barela informed defendant that he was not under arrest and was not required to go to the doctor’s office. It appears that defendant nevertheless willingly accompanied the officers.

When the defendant and the officers arrived at the doctor’s office several persons were standing in the street in front of the building. Defendant joined them. He was the only young person and the only Spanish-American in the group. Lujan was called to view the persons in front of the office and he immediately identified Morales as one of those who had robbed him the previous night.

Barela testified that in warning defendant of his rights he did inform him, among other matter, that “he had a right to have an attorney present at all times.” He did not specifically state to defendant that he could have an attorney with him when he went to the doctor’s office to confront Lujan.

Upon the conclusion of this testimony, defendant having rested upon this issue, the trial court denied the motion.

The trial court’s ruling was treated as permitting an in-court identification of defendant, Morales, by Lujan. The argument as we have stated, is that the in-court identification was in violation of Gilbert, Wade and Stovall. Both Gilbert and Wade involved a post-indictment lineup conducted without notice to appointed counsel. In each case the lineup was treated as a critical stage of the prosecution at which defendant was entitled to the assistance of counsel. Stovall did not involve a post-indictment lineup but did involve a lineup, or show up conducted by the police without affording Stovall time to secure the assistance of counsel.

In the instant case it is shown that defendant was neither placed under arrest, nor detained but was specifically advised that he was not under arrest and not required to accompany the officers to the confrontation. It is further disclosed that defendant was advised of his right to have an attorney present at all times. After being so informed, defendant nevertheless accompanied the officers and willingly participated in the lineup or show up. If we assume the pre-trial confrontation to have been a critical stage of the prosecution and to have been illegal on the ground that the accused’s right to counsel was violated, or because the confrontation constituted a denial of due process, such error would not, however, prevent a valid in-court identification if it be established by “ * * * clear and convincing evidence that the in-court identifications were based upon observations of the suspect other than the lineup identification.” United States v. Wade, supra.

The record here discloses that the in-court identification in question had its basis in two independent sources sufficient to remove it from the strictures of Wade.

First, Lujan met the defendant, Morales, at his home during the afternoon prior to the robbery. At that time both defendant and Franco conversed with Lujan and obtained a sum of money from him. Although this visit was of short duration it is clear that Lujan had ample opportunity at that time to observe the defendant. Further, defendant admitted being at Lujan’s house during the particular afternoon. Next, it is shown that immediately prior to the robbery Lujan had turned on the light in his house and admitted the robbers.

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512 P.2d 696 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1973)
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503 P.2d 1154 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1972)
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State v. Samora
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State v. McCarty
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State v. Turner
469 P.2d 720 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1970)
State v. Morales
466 P.2d 871 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1970)

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Bluebook (online)
466 P.2d 899, 81 N.M. 333, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-morales-nmctapp-1970.