State v. Sosa

1997 NMSC 032, 943 P.2d 1017, 123 N.M. 564
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 18, 1997
Docket23562
StatusPublished
Cited by101 cases

This text of 1997 NMSC 032 (State v. Sosa) 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. Sosa, 1997 NMSC 032, 943 P.2d 1017, 123 N.M. 564 (N.M. 1997).

Opinion

OPINION

BACA, Justice.

I.

1. Defendant, Jesse Sosa, appeals his conviction and sentencing for involuntary manslaughter, see NMSA 1978, 30-2-3(B) (1994), shooting into an occupied vehicle causing great bodily harm, see NMSA 1978, § 30-3-8 (1993), and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, see NMSA 1978, 30-3-2(A) (1963). Sosa raises the following issues on appeal: whether the district court abused its discretion in sentencing Sosa as an adult rather than as a juvenile; whether the district court abused its discretion in restricting voir dire pertaining to juror bias against gangs; whether the district court abused its discretion in denying Sosa’s motion for a new trial based on newly-discovered evidence; whether Sosa received ineffective assistance of counsel; whether the jury received ambiguous or erroneous jury instructions; and whether the sentencing court violated Sosa’s right to be free from double jeopardy. We review this ease pursuant to NMSA 1978, 34-5-14(0 (1972) (matters appealed to court of appeals and certified to Supreme Court). We reverse Sosa’s conviction for involuntary manslaughter, affirm the remaining convictions, and remand for resentencing and entry of an amended judgment.

II.

2. A drive-by shooting in Las Cruces, New Mexico left a high school student named Johnny Reyes dead. Seventeen year old Jesse Sosa was the driver of the car from which the fatal shot issued. Sosa and the shooter, Jesus Loera, were tried together. Jesse Saenz was charged with tampering with evidence and conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence for his involvement in the events following the shooting.

3. At trial Loera presented the following testimony to support his defense of imperfect self-defense. Loera had been the victim of two drive-by shootings, including an incident involving a gang member named Fernando, which caused him to be afraid for his life. On the night in question Sosa drove Loera and his friends to Las Cruces. Loera took a gun with him because he was afraid of being shot. The passengers of a truck driving near Sosa’s car acted in a hostile manner towards the passengers of Sosa’s car. Loera became afraid that Fernando was in the truck and, out of fear, pulled his gun and fired several random shots, killing Reyes.

4. Sosa also testified at trial. Apparently, while driving in Las Cruces, Sosa became fearful of the occupants of Reyes’s truck because someone reached down for -something under the seat. Sosa feared that the occupant of Reyes’s truck was reaching for a gun. He also claimed that the shooting was committed in self-defense. Sosa falsely testified that he was not aware that Loera had a gun. During the sentencing hearing Sosa admitted that he knew Loera had a gun, but denied any knowledge that Loera intended to shoot at the occupants of the truck.

5. Sosa was acquitted of first degree murder and the lesser included offenses of second degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, shooting into an occupied vehicle causing great bodily harm, and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The district court sentenced Sosa as an adult to sixteen and a half years of incarceration.

III.

6. On appeal, we address the following issues: whether the district court abused its discretion in sentencing Sosa as an adult; whether the district court abused its discretion by prohibiting certain voir dire questions concerning jurors’ attitudes towards gangs; whether the district court abused its discretion in denying Sosa’s motion for a new trial based on newly-discovered evidence; whether Sosa received ineffective assistance of counsel; whether the jury instructions were fatally ambiguous or erroneous; and whether the trial court violated Sosa’s right to be free from double jeopardy at the sentencing stage of the proceeding. The district court did not abuse its discretion in sentencing Sosa as an adult, in restricting the scope of voir dire on bias against gangs, or in denying Sosa a new trial. Sosa failed to establish that he received ineffective assistance of counsel. The majority of jury instructions were not so erroneous or ambiguous as to rise to the level of fundamental error. However, submission of the instruction on involuntary manslaughter constituted a fundamental and harmful error requiring reversal of the involuntary manslaughter conviction. Finally, Sosa was not subject to double jeopardy when he was sentenced for both shooting into an occupied vehicle and aggravated assault. We therefore reverse Sosa’s conviction for involuntary manslaughter, affirm the remaining convictions, and remand this ease to the district court for resentencing and entry of an amended judgment.

A.

7. Sosa contends that the district court abused its discretion on three occasions during the trial proceedings. This Court will find an abuse of discretion when the lower court’s decision “ ‘is clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and circumstances of the case.’” State v. Apodaca, 1994 NMSC 121 ¶ 23, 118 N.M. 762, 770, 887 P.2d 756, 764 (quoting State v. Simonson, 100 N.M. 297, 301, 669 P.2d 1092, 1096 (1983)). Furthermore, we will not find an abuse of discretion “ ‘unless we can characterize [the district court’s determination] as clearly untenable or not justified by reason.’ ” 1994 NMSC 121 ¶ 23, 887 P.2d 756 (quoting State v. Litteral, 110 N.M. 138, 141, 793 P.2d 268, 271 (1990)). The moving party bears the burden of establishing an abuse of discretion. See State v. Wiberg, 107 N.M. 152, 156-57, 754 P.2d 529, 533-34 (Ct.App.1988).

8. We begin with Sosa’s claim that the district court abused its discretion by sentencing him as an adult. Under NMSA 1978, 31-18-15.2(A) (1994) (defining serious youthful offender as used within Criminal Sentencing Act), Sosa is a serious youthful offender. Where a serious youthful offender is convicted of a lesser offense than first degree murder, the offender will be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of the Children’s Code. See NMSA 1978, 31-18-15.3(F) (1993) (serious youthful offender; disposition). However, the Children’s Code, NMSA 1978, 32A-2-20(B) (1995), allows the sentencing judge to invoke an adult sentence if certain findings in the record support the judge’s determination that the offender is not amenable to treatment or rehabilitation as a child in available facilities. The court must make findings on the following seven statutory factors in making that determination:

(1) the seriousness of the alleged offense;
(2) whether the alleged offense was committed in an aggressive, violent, premeditated or willful manner;
(3) whether the alleged offense was against persons or against property, greater weight being given to offenses against persons, especially if personal injury resulted;

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1997 NMSC 032, 943 P.2d 1017, 123 N.M. 564, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-sosa-nm-1997.