State v. Stefani

2006 NMCA 073, 137 P.3d 659, 139 N.M. 719
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 2, 2006
DocketNo. 24,477
StatusPublished
Cited by53 cases

This text of 2006 NMCA 073 (State v. Stefani) 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. Stefani, 2006 NMCA 073, 137 P.3d 659, 139 N.M. 719 (N.M. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION

BUSTAMANTE, Chief Judge.

{1} Defendant appeals his convictions for trafficking methamphetamine by manufacture, conspiracy to commit trafficking, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Defendant asserts that the district court erred in denying his request for a continuance, that the jury instructions were flawed, and the convictions were not supported by substantial evidence. We reverse and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

BACKGROUND

{2} Two police officers and an expert from the New Mexico Department of Public Safety’s Southern Crime Laboratory testified to the following facts at trial. Officers Ron Mullins and Casey Mullins received information that there was a methamphetamine (meth) lab in Alfred Caballero’s trailer. These two officers, along with other officers, went to Caballero’s trailer to conduct a “knock-and-talk.” When they arrived, there was a woman and a young boy outside the trailer. The woman, later identified as Defendant’s wife, denied the officers permission to enter the trailer, stating that it was not her trailer. Officer Ron Mullins testified that he knocked on the door repeatedly before Caballero answered. The officers explained to Caballero that they received information about a meth lab in his trailer, and for public safety reasons requested permission to enter the trailer to look for a meth lab. After speaking to the officers, Caballero granted consent for two officers to enter the trailer, stating, “If there is a lab in here, it’s not mine. I didn’t bring anything in here of that nature.”

{3} The officers entered the trailer, and found components of a meth lab in the kitchen. These components included a large jar with bi-layered fluids, other glassware, tubing, funnels, solvents, a hot plate, various chemicals, and a fan in the window. The officers also found a handkerchief containing glass pipes and syringes in the kitchen. Additional meth lab components were found in a box in the northern bedroom of the trailer, including muriatic acid, lighter fluid, a baggie containing red phosphorous, flasks, a funnel, and pills containing pseudoephedrine. A .22 caliber pistol was found in the living room, inside a stand-up speaker.

{4} During the search of the trailer, the officers located Defendant hiding in a closet in the southern bedroom. Defendant initially identified himself to the officers as “Justin,” but was later correctly identified by one of the officers at the scene. The officers testified that pursuant to various safety regulations, all of the glassware associated with the meth lab was destroyed on site. The only materials that were examined by the laboratory for latent fingerprints were the bullets and the pistol, but no latent prints of value were found. No other items or containers were tested for fingerprints. A small amount of brown residue, scraped off a Pyrex dish, tested positive for methamphetamine. No other containers or supplies tested positive for methamphetamine.

{5} Caballero testified to the following at trial. Defendant’s wife and child came to his house early in the morning on March 31, 2003, asking if they could come in and cook breakfast. Caballero was not feeling well, so he let Defendant’s wife in, then went back to bed. Caballero woke up several hours later and went to his kitchen. At that time, Caballero saw Defendant and his wife in the kitchen cooking breakfast. Caballero noticed things on the kitchen counter that were not there when he had let Defendant’s wife in several hours earlier. He assumed Defendant and his wife brought those things into his kitchen with them. Caballero then went back to bed, and did not wake up again until the police arrived at 7:30 p.m. that evening.

{6} Based on the preceding testimony, Defendant was convicted of trafficking by manufacture, contrary to NMSA 1978, § 30-31-20(A)(1) (1990); conspiracy to commit trafficking by manufacture, contrary to NMSA 1978, § 30-28-2 (1979) and § 30-31-20(A)(l); possession of drug paraphernalia, contrary to NMSA 1978, § 30-31-25.KA) (2001); and concealing identity, contrary to NMSA 1978, § 30-22-3 (1963). Defendant does not challenge his conviction for concealing his identity.

DISCUSSION

{7} Defendant presents four issues on appeal. Defendant contends that (1) the district court erred in denying his motion for a continuance; (2) the jury instructions were fundamentally flawed by the failure to include an instruction on constructive possession and the inclusion of a general intent instruction; (3) failure of the jury instructions to delineate which items of evidence fell within the trafficking charge and which items fell within the possession of paraphernalia charge resulted in conviction of both crimes, thus offending principles of double jeopardy; and (4) there was insufficient evidence of each charge to support the convictions. We address each in turn.

1. Motion for Continuance

{8} Defendant contends that the district court erred in denying his request for a continuance. First, Defendant argues that the district court failed to exercise any discretion in denying the continuance by blindly following a “no continuances” policy. Second, Defendant argues that the district court’s denial of the continuance violated his constitutional rights of confrontation and due process, to effective assistance of counsel, and to present a meaningful defense. Because we conclude that the district court abused its discretion in denying the continuance, we reverse on this ground. We do not reach the constitutional arguments or the ineffective assistance claims raised by Defendant.

{9} “The grant or denial of a ... continuance [is] within the sound discretion of the [district] court, and the burden of establishing an abuse of discretion rests with the defendant.” State v. Sanchez, 120 N.M. 247, 253, 901 P.2d 178, 184 (1995). In exercising this discretion, there are a number of factors district courts should consider. State v. Torres, 1999-NMSC-010, ¶ 10, 127 N.M. 20, 976 P.2d 20. These factors include the

length of the requested delay, the likelihood that a delay would accomplish the movant’s objectives, the existence of previous continuances in the same matter, the degree of inconvenience to the parties and the court, the legitimacy of the motives in requesting the delay, the fault of the movant in causing [the] need for the delay, and the prejudice to the movant in denying the motion.

Id. (citation omitted). “An abuse of discretion occurs when the ruling is clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and circumstances of the case. We cannot say the trial court abused its discretion by its ruling unless we can characterize it as clearly untenable or not justified by reason.” State v. Rojo, 1999-NMSC-001, ¶ 41, 126 N.M. 438, 971 P.2d 829 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Furthermore, a defendant must establish not only that there was an abuse of discretion, but also that there was injury to the defendant in denying the continuance. State v. Nieto, 78 N.M. 155, 157, 429 P.2d 353, 355 (1967).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2006 NMCA 073, 137 P.3d 659, 139 N.M. 719, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-stefani-nmctapp-2006.