State v. Padilla

565 P.2d 352, 90 N.M. 481
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 17, 1977
Docket2839
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 565 P.2d 352 (State v. Padilla) 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. Padilla, 565 P.2d 352, 90 N.M. 481 (N.M. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

OPINION

HENDLEY, Judge.

Defendant was charged with two counts of first degree murder, one count of attempted murder or in the alternative, assault with intent to commit murder or mayhem or aggravated battery — all with a firearm. Convicted of one count of voluntary manslaughter and one count of aggravated battery he appeals asserting the trial court erred in: (1) failing to give former U.J.I. Criminal 2.11 which defines “intent to kill or do great bodily harm”; (2) refusing to give his requested self-defense instructions; (3) allowing the admission of certain out-of-court statements; and, (4) committing cumulative error.

We affirm.

This case arose out of a shooting incident. Certain facts are not in dispute. Defendant was managing the LULAC Club. Robert, James and Roger Montoya came into the club and began playing pool. One or more of the Montoyas became involved in a fight with another person in the club. Defendant tried to break up the fight and was struck with a pool cue by one or more of the Montoyas. While the fight continued and became larger defendant went to where he kept his gun and fired into the ceiling in an effort to stop the fight. Robert Montoya then pulled out a gun whereupon defendant stated he did not want any trouble but only wanted the fighting to end. Subsequently all the Montoyas backed out of the building. Shortly thereafter, two or more of the Montoyas started to return and confronted defendant at or near the door of the club. Shots were fired which resulted in the death of Robert and James Montoya and the injury of Roger Montoya.

Failure to Give Instruction

The jury was instructed on voluntary manslaughter which stated in part:

“The defendant had an intent to kill or do great bodily harm . . .” [Subsequently amended October 1, 1976]

The Use Note states that U.J.I. Criminal Instruction 2.11 [subsequently amended to U.J.I. Criminal 1.21] must be given. Instruction 2.11 defined intent to kill or do great bodily harm. Instruction 2.11 was not given and defendant did not request that it be given.

Defendant now contends that the failure to give Instruction 2.11 amounts to jurisdictional error because it omitted an essential element of voluntary manslaughter. State v. Gunzelman, 85 N.M. 295, 512 P.2d 55 (1973). We cannot see how a failure to give a definition instruction can be elevated to a failure to instruct on an essential element. State v. Gunzelman, supra, and State v. Fuentes, 85 N.M. 274, 511 P.2d 760 (Ct.App.1973) state that instructions in the language of the statute are sufficient. Further, a failure to instruct the jury on a definition or amplification of the elements of a crime is not error. State v. Gonzales, 86 N.M. 556, 525 P.2d 916 (Ct.App.1974); State v. Fuga, 85 N.M. 204, 510 P.2d 1075 (Ct.App.1973); State v. Bell, 84 N.M. 133, 500 P.2d 418 (Ct.App.1972).

Defendant further contends that since the Use Note states the instruction must be given and since we are bound to follow the Supreme Court Order adopting the U.J.I. Criminal Instructions and Use Notes (State v. Scott, (Ct.App.) 90 N.M. 256, 561 P.2d 1349, decided March 1, 1977), the failure to give the instruction was jurisdictional error. While error may have occurred had defendant requested Instruction 2.11, an issue we need not decide, we decline to hold that the Use Note elevated Instruction 2.11 to the status of an element of the crime of voluntary manslaughter.

Failure to give the unrequested definitional instruction was not jurisdictional error.

Self-defense Instructions

Defendant’s requested instruction No. 2 was taken from U.J.I. Criminal Instruction No. 41.43 (subsequently changed to 41.61). It stated:

“Self-defense is not available to a person who starts a fight or agrees to fight, unless he tries to stop the fight and lets the other person know he no longer wants to fight or unless he had to defend himself against unreasonable force without being able to stop the fight.”

Defendant contends the trial court erred in not giving the instruction because without it the jury might have believed that if defendant started or agreed to the fight with the Montoyas he would not be entitled to the right of self-defense.

We disagree with defendant’s contention. The jury was given instructions on defendant’s right to self-defense that corresponds to U.J.I. Criminal 41.41. Defendant’s requested instruction would have injected a false issue in the case since there was no evidence to support the giving of the instruction. State v. Waller, 80 N.M. 380, 456 P.2d 213 (Ct.App.1969). The fight was at an end when the Montoyas left the building. The fact that they subsequently returned started a new series of events. It was during this series of events that the shooting occurred. The trial court properly refused the requested instruction.

Defendant also requested an instruction on self-defense that corresponds to U.J.I. Criminal 41.41. Part of that instruction stated:

“ . . There was an appearance of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to the defendant as a result of [the victim’s] [assault] with a deadly weapon, to wit: a cue stick or a gun.

The trial court accepted the defendant’s requested instruction except that it deleted the words “ . . .to wit: a cue stick or a gun. . . ” Defendant contends that the deletion constituted error because his requested instruction “properly represented the law and the facts of the case.” Defendant relies in part on State v. Martinez, 30 N.M. 178, 230 P. 379 (1924). Martinez, supra, also dealt with the question of a trial court’s refusal of the defendant’s requested instruction and the adequacy of the instructions actually given. The Supreme Court stated:

“ . . While the testimony may have authorized the court to submit the charge as given, certainly the defendant had a right to have submitted to the jury her theory of the case, . . , and to have the facts relative thereto stated with sufficient clearness in the charge to distinctly present this phase of her defense to the jury. . . . ”

While the language of Martinez, supra, may support the defendant’s contention we find that Martinez, supra, is not controlling.

Defendant’s requested instruction differs from the instruction given in that the former comments on the evidence given at trial. U.J.I. Criminal implicitly adopts a policy against using instructions which comment on the evidence. The General Use Note to U.J.I. Criminal states that when an issue arises that is not covered by U.J.I. Criminal “ . . .

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
565 P.2d 352, 90 N.M. 481, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-padilla-nmctapp-1977.