State v. Santillanes

580 P.2d 489, 91 N.M. 721
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 16, 1978
Docket3394
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 580 P.2d 489 (State v. Santillanes) 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. Santillanes, 580 P.2d 489, 91 N.M. 721 (N.M. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

OPINION

WOOD, Chief Judge.

Defendant’s appeal from his shoplifting conviction presents procedural questions involving his competency to stand trial after having been determined to be incompetent. The procedural problems go beyond the procedure outlined in State v. Noble, 90 N.M. 360, 563 P.2d 1153 (1977). We discuss: (1) redetermination of competency; (2) burden of going forward with evidence; and (3) burden of persuasion and instruction on incompetency. We do not discuss the admissibility of defendant’s statement which the trial court refused to suppress. The standard for determining defendant’s mental capacity to make the statement is stated in State v. Chavez, 88 N.M. 451, 541 P.2d 631 (Ct.App.1975); the standard for determining voluntariness and an intelligent waiver is discussed in State v. Burk, 82 N.M. 466, 483 P.2d 940 (Ct.App.1971), cert. denied, 404 U.S. 955, 92 S.Ct. 309, 30 L.Ed.2d 271 (1971).

Redetermination of Competency

A hearing to determine defendant’s competency to stand trial was held May 6,1977. The uncontradicted evidence was that defendant was not competent to stand trial. On June 9, 1977 orders were entered (a) holding that defendant was incompetent to stand trial and (b) directing that defendant be transported to the State Hospital under a civil commitment.

Prior to the competency hearing, defendant had moved that the charges be dismissed because he was incompetent. Defendant asserts that once a determination of incompetency was made by the trial court, it was error to refuse to dismiss the charges. We disagree. The determination in May, 1977 that defendant was incompetent to stand trial was not conclusive that defendant would continue to be incompetent to stand trial. State v. Folk, 56 N.M. 583, 247 P.2d 165 (1952). Both Rule of Crim.Proc. 35(b) and § 41-13-3.1, N.M.S.A. 1953 (2d Repl. Vol. 6) provide that the question can be “redetermined”.

In July, 1977 the State moved for a redetermination based upon new evidence. An evidentiary hearing was held on this motion on August 1, 1977. The evidence at this hearing was conflicting. At the conclusion of this hearing, the trial court stated it “cannot determine . . . beyond a reasonable doubt whether Mr. Santillanes is or is not competent to stand trial”. The trial court ruled that the competency issue should be decided by a jury.

Defendant contends the trial court’s ruling was wrong in three ways. First, ignoring the case law, he asserts that the question of competency should have been decided by the trial court rather than ruling the question was to be decided by the jury. The trial court’s ruling, under the evidence, accords with the procedure outlined in State v. Noble, supra.

Second, defendant contends that, having once been determined to be incompetent, the quantum of proof required for competency was proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The proof required for incompetency has consistently been held to be proof by a preponderance of the evidence. State v. Armstrong, 82 N.M. 358, 482 P.2d 61 (1971); State v. Ortega, 77 N.M. 7, 419 P.2d 219 (1966). This same quantum of proof applies to a redetermination of competency.

Third, defendant claims the State had the burden of proof to show that defendant was competent to stand trial. We discuss this claim in the subsequent issues.

Burden of Going Forward with Evidence

When a defendant advances the contention that he is incompetent to stand trial, he has the burden of proving his claim by a preponderance of the evidence. State v. Armstrong, supra. Defendant met this burden in this case; there had been a judicial determination of incompetency. Once such a judicial determination has been made, upon a redetermination of the question, who has the burden of proving that defendant is competent to stand trial?

State v. Folk, supra, uses “insanity” in discussing competency to stand trial. It states:

[T]he prior adjudication of insanity . raised a presumption that the defendant was insane. This presumption may be rebutted, but until that has been done, he cannot be found either guilty or innocent of the crime charged.

This presumption of incompetency is consistent with the presumption of continuing insanity at the time the offense was committed. See, Annot., 27 A.L.R.2d (1953), § 10, page 150.

State v. Folk, supra, states the presumption of incompetency may be rebutted, but until the presumption is rebutted, defendant cannot be found either guilty or innocent. Inasmuch as defendant has the benefit of the presumption, it is the State which had the burden of going forward with evidence to show that defendant was competent to stand trial. See Hartford Fire Insurance Company v. Horne, 65 N.M. 440, 338 P.2d 1067 (1959); Payne v. Tuozzoli, 80 N.M. 214, 453 P.2d 384 (Ct.App.1969). Compare the burden on defendant to introduce evidence tending to show insanity, in opposition to the presumption of sanity. State v. Wilson, 85 N.M. 552, 514 P.2d 603 (1973). The State met its burden of going forward with evidence. After hearing the evidence, the trial court properly ruled that the matter should be decided by the jury.

Burden of Persuasion and Instruction on Incompetency

The status of the incompetency issue at trial was that the order holding defendant incompetent to stand trial remained in effeet; however, the trial court did rule the jury was to redetermine this issue. In this posture of the case, to meet the presumption of incompetency, the State had the burden of going forward with evidence to rebut the presumption.

U.J.I. Crim. 41.01 states that, no instruction is to be given on competency to stand trial. In holding that the issue must be submitted to the jury where there is reasonable doubt as to competency, State v. Noble, supra, modified U.J.I. Crim. 41.01. We are informed that amendments to Rule of Crim.Proc. 35(b) and U.J.I. Crim. 41.01, to be effective July 1, 1978, provide for such a jury instruction. Thus, we are not concerned here with a conflict between State v. Noble, supra, and U.J.I. Crim. 41.01.

Our concern is with the instruction given by the trial court. It states:

It is the defendant’s burden to prove that he is incompetent to stand trial.

Is this instruction correct? In this case, no!

Statements similar to this instruction appear in State v. Armstrong, supra, and U.J.I. Crim. 41.01.

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Bluebook (online)
580 P.2d 489, 91 N.M. 721, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-santillanes-nmctapp-1978.