State v. Perez

2014 NMCA 023, 5 N.M. 450
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 9, 2014
DocketNo. 34,458; Docket No. 31,814
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2014 NMCA 023 (State v. Perez) 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. Perez, 2014 NMCA 023, 5 N.M. 450 (N.M. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

OPINION

BUSTAMANTE, Judge.

{1} Defendant appeals from his conviction by a jury of criminal sexual penetration in the fourth degree. Defendant’s primary argument is that, because the magistrate judge’s probable cause determination at a preliminary hearing rested on no more than judicial notice of testimony from a prior hearing, no proper felony prosecution was initiated against him. We recognize that there are serious problems with the magistrate judge’s reliance on prior testimony to determine probable cause. Nevertheless, we decline to reverse on this basis because, under State v. Bent, there is no adequate remedy for such errors after a trial on the merits. 2012-NMSC-038, 289 P.3d 1225. Finding no other reversible error, we affirm.

DISCUSSION

{2} Defendant makes two arguments on appeal. First, he contends that because “the procedure used [to initiate prosecution] did not follow the requirements for bringing a felony charge” the district court never gained jurisdiction and the conviction must be reversed. Second, he maintains that “the [district] court erred in permitting the State to call, as a rebuttal witness, an undisclosed witness who had watched the trial as an observer, contrary to Rule 11-615 NMRA.” We address these arguments in turn and incorporate the facts of the case as necessary to each.

I, Initiation of the Charges

{3} Defendant .was charged by criminal complaint. No witnesses testified at the preliminary hearing as to the present charge. Instead, the State referred to and offered the victim’s prior testimony that she had consensual sex with Defendant. That testimony was given at a previous hearing before the same magistrate pertaining to a different charge against Defendant. The State also referred to and offered the testimony of a detective who testified at the earlier hearing that Defendant had admitted to the physical relationship. Over objection by defense counsel, the magistrate agreed to take judicial notice of the offered testimony. Based solely on the judicially-noticed testimony, the magistrate issued a determination of probable cause.

{4} Defendant argues that, because it was improper for the magistrate to take judicial notice of testimony in an earlier hearing on different charges, he was deprived of his right to a properly conducted preliminary hearing and, therefore, his conviction should be reversed. See Rule 11-201(B) NMRA. Even if judicial notice of prior testimony was error, however, we affirm Defendant’s conviction because, at this point in the proceedings, there is no remedy for the error in the preliminary hearing. Bent, 2012-NMSC-038, ¶ 21.

{5} In Bent, the defendant was indicted by a grand jury whose statutorily defined term had allegedly expired. The defendant in Bent was convicted after a trial on the merits. Id. ¶¶ 3, 8. On appeal, the defendant in Bent argued that the indictment issued by the grand jury was void given that its term had expired and, therefore, his prosecution was never properly initiated. Id. ¶ 6. The Supreme Court assumed without deciding that the grand jury ’ s term had expired and focused instead on “whether a procedural, statutory error in the grand jury proceedings . . . can be raised and decided after a petit jury has already found [the defendant guilty.” Id. ¶ 13. The Court stated that “we must assume that the quantum of evidence against [the defendant, having been enough to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, is more than adequate to establish probable cause merely to accuse [the defendant.” Id. ¶ 18. It therefore “recognizefd] a prudential limit on the exercise of [its] appellate jurisdiction” and stated that “reversal... after a guilty verdictf] would accomplish little because, based on this record, probable cause exists to bring these same charges against [the defendant.” Id. ¶¶ 15, 18.

{6} Like in Bent, Defendant here proceeded to trial without challenging the preliminary hearing and his case was decided on the merits — Defendant was found guilty of committing the crime beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury of his peers. Had Defendant challenged the preliminary hearing — after the hearing but before trial — by interlocutory appeal to this Court or extraordinary writ to the Supreme Court, the issue of the propriety of the magistrate’s taking of judicial notice might have been ripe for determination on the merits. See id. ¶ 15; State v. McCrary, 1982-NMCA-003, ¶ 2, 97 N.M. 306, 639 P.2d 593 (accepting interlocutory appeal of district court’s denial of the defendant’s motion to dismiss the information after a preliminary hearing). But “[a]t this point in the proceedings — post-conviction—there is simply no adequate remedy available for [the djefendant.” Bent, 2012-NMSC-038, ¶ 21. In other words, “there comes a point, as a practical matter, when issues with the [probable cause determination] can no longer be remedied.” Id. ¶ 28. See United States v. Mechanik, 475 U.S. 66, 67 (1986) (“We believe that the petit jury’s verdict of guilty beyond a reasonable doubt demonstrates a fortiori that there was probable cause to charge the defendants with the offenses for which they were convicted. Therefore, the convictions must stand despite the [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(d)] violation.”). This is one of those times.

{7} Defendant argues that Bent does not control this issue because “in New Mexico a felony must be initiated by an indictment or information, or if not, the court does not acquire jurisdiction over the case.” 2012-NMSC-038, ¶ 34; N.M. Const, art. II, § 14 (“No person shall be held to answer for a capital, felonious[,] or infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury or information .... No person shall be so held on information without having had a preliminary examination before an examining magistrate, or having waived such preliminary examination.”). He relies on State v. Chacon for the proposition that a defective preliminary hearing violates Article II, Section 14 of the New Mexico Constitution, and thus the district courtnever acquiredjurisdiction over his case. Chacon, 1957-NMSC-030, 62 N.M. 291, 309 P.2d 230. Chacon does not apply here, however, because the error in this case was procedural, not jurisdictional. We explain.

{8} In Chacon, the state filed only a criminal complaint; no indictment or information was filed. Id. ¶2. The defendant pled guilty based on the complaint and was sentenced. Id. ¶ 3. Thus, in Chacon, there was no probable cause determination, nor was the defendant found guilty after a trial on the merits. On appeal, the Supreme Court held that the criminal complaint “failed to meet the requirements of [Article] II, [Section] 14, thereby denying the court jurisdiction to accept the guilty plea and impose sentence upon him.” Id. ¶ 10. The sentence was reversed. Id. ¶ 19.

{9} The Bent Court addressed an argument similar to that advanced here — that the alleged error in the grand jury proceedings deprived the district court of jurisdiction to proceed to trial. See Bent, 2012-NMSC-038, ¶ 33. It concluded that the fact that a grand jury convened and indicted Bent as required by Article II, Section 14 distinguished that case from Chacon.

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Bluebook (online)
2014 NMCA 023, 5 N.M. 450, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-perez-nmctapp-2014.