State v. Simien

437 P.2d 708, 78 N.M. 709
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 19, 1968
Docket8351
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 437 P.2d 708 (State v. Simien) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico 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. Simien, 437 P.2d 708, 78 N.M. 709 (N.M. 1968).

Opinion

OPINION

CHAVEZ, Chief Justice!

Defendant-appellant Wilton S. Simien attacked by motion under Rule 93 (§ 21-1-1 (93), N.M.S.A., 1953 Comp.), the judgment and sentence imposed upon him in 1965 by the District Court of San Juan County. After a hearing, at which appellant and others testified concerning the crime of which appellant had been convicted, appellant’s arrest, interrogation and guilty plea, appellant’s motion was denied and appeal from the denial was taken.

Under appellant’s Rule 93 motion, three points were raised under which appellant alleged that he was arrested without a warrant and his car illegally searched without a search warrant; that, during the course of police interrogation, he was not advised of his right to counsel, did not have effective counsel and was not allowed to obtain counsel; and that he was made by the police to give evidence against himself without effective aid of counsel and without other help of any kind. At the hearing on appellant’s motion, in addition to presenting evidence concerning these allegations, appellant presented evidence which he contends demonstrated unfair dealing by the police amounting to solicitation and entrapment which alleged unfair dealing deprived appellant of due process of law. Appellant’s requested findings of fact and conclusions of law were denied. Appellant raises five points on appeal.

We first consider appellant’s points III and V together, which are as follows:

“THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO FIND THAT APPELLANT WAS DENIED THE RIGHT TO ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL AT A CRITICAL STAGE OF HIS TRIAL.”
“THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO FIND AND CONCLUDE THAT TPIE DEFENDANT DID NOT VOLUNTARILY, INTELLIGENTLY OR KNOWINGLY PLEAD GUILTY.”

With regard to appellant’s right to counsel and his plea, the trial court made the following findings of fact which are not attacked :

“2. On the 27th day of October, 1964 the Defendant was arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Precinct 18 of San Juan County New Mexico at which time he was advised of the charge against him and of his right to counsel and the Defendant having expressed a desire for counsel but being unable to retain one personally the District Court of San Juan County New Mexico was requested to appoint a counsel for the Defendant. The District Court appointed Stephen Grover, a licensed practicing attorney in the State of New Mexico, to represent the Defendant.
“3. On October 30, 1964 a preliminary hearing was held before the Justice of the Peace Court Precinct 18 San Juan County New Mexico at which time the Defendant appeared in person and by his attorney, Stephen Grover. Following the preliminary hearing the Defendant was bound over to the District Court of San Juan County New Mexico on the charge of armed robbery.
“5. On December 2, 1964 the Defendant appeared before the District Court San Juan County New Mexico in person and while being represented by his attorney, Stephen Grover, at which time he entered a plea of guilty to the charge of armed robbery and said plea of guilty was received by the District Court.”

Appellant argues that the trial court erred in not making requested findings of fact to the effect that (1) appellant was denied his right to assistance of counsel at a critical stage of the proceedings; (2) appellant was required to give evidence against himself, contrary to the New Mexico and United States Constitutions; (3) appellant was threatened with prosecution for theft and told that the Habitual Criminal Act would be imposed on him if he did not assist the police in securing the arrest and conviction of one Smith; (4) appellant was promised by police officers that he would be allowed to go free if he would assist the police in staging a crime which would allow the police to arrest and prosecute Smith; (5) appellant, as a result of the mentioned threats, did stage a robbery in which Smith was implicated; (6) that as a result of this robbery, Smith was convicted of aiding a felon to escape; (7) appellant, after his arrest for this robbery, was promised leniency by the police; (8) appellant, as a result of these promises of leniency, did not cooperate with his appointed attorney and insisted on pleading guilty; and (9) appellant’s guilty plea was induced by threats and promises of leniency. Appellant also contends that it was error to deny his requested conclusions of law to the effect that (1) as a result of the denial of assistance of counsel, and for other reasons not germane to appellant’s point III, appellant was denied his right to a fair and impartial trial and to dué process of law, in violation of the New Mexico and United States Constitutions; (2) appellant was denied the right to counsel to his irreparable damage and prejudice, in violation of the New Mexico and United States Constitutions ; and (3) appellant did not voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently plead guilty to the charge of robbery.

The question here is whether or not there was substantial evidence to support the trial court’s findings of fact and whether the trial court was correct in making conclusions of law to the effect that (1) the entire proceedings were in all respects complete and proper; (2) appellant knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily, while being advised by competent counsel, entered a plea of guilty; and (3) appellant’s counsel effectively represented appellant in the proceedings.

The burden of proof at the Rule 93 hearing rested upon appellant to convince the court of his allegations by a preponderance of the evidence. State v. Chavez, 78 N.M. 446, 432 P.2d 411; and compare, State v. Gilbert, 78 N.M. 437, 432 P.2d 402; State v. Coates, 78 N.M. 366, 431 P.2d 744; State v. Moser, 78 N.M. 212, 430 P.2d 106. To support his contentions, appellant relies on his own testimony at the hearing on his motion under Rule 93, which testimony is in part as follows. Prior to the commission of the acts constituting the crime of which appellant was convicted, appellant came in contact with Lt. Boyce of the Farmington Police Department in connection with appellant’s making a false charge, taking an amount of money and taking a television set which did not belong to him. No charges were filed in these matters. Appellant testified Lt. Boyce told him that charges could be filed but that he was not going to file charges; instead he believed he could use appellant to work with him by reporting daily to the police what certain persons known to appellant were doing. Appellant’s testimony continued:

“Q. Did you actually call him every day?
“A. When I did not call he [Boyce] would come by, and I moved from over on Miller to this place over there to keep from—
“Q. At Hillcrest?
“A. —to keep him from knowing where I was.
“Q. Were you trying to get away from him at this time ?

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
437 P.2d 708, 78 N.M. 709, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-simien-nm-1968.