State v. Templeton

2007 NMCA 108, 165 P.3d 1145, 142 N.M. 369
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 20, 2007
Docket25,845
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 2007 NMCA 108 (State v. Templeton) 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. Templeton, 2007 NMCA 108, 165 P.3d 1145, 142 N.M. 369 (N.M. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

OPINION

PICKARD, Judge.

{1} Defendant appeals his conviction of trafficking a controlled substance, contrary to NMSA 1978, § 30-31-20 (2006). Before trial, Defendant sought to suppress tape recordings of telephone calls made in jail on the grounds that jail officials recorded his telephone conversations in violation of his right to privacy under the Abuse of Privacy Act, NMSA 1978, §§ 30-12-1 to -11 (1963, as amended through 1979). The district court denied Defendant’s motion. In addition to asserting Abuse of Privacy Act violations, Defendant contends on appeal that his Fourth Amendment rights under the United States Constitution and his rights under Article II, Section 10 of the New Mexico Constitution were violated by the jail officials. We reverse in part, affirm in part, and remand for a new trial.

BACKGROUND

{2} On June 9, 2004, Hobbs police officers attempted to pull over Defendant’s vehicle because Defendant had an outstanding municipal warrant. Defendant failed to stop for the officers and eventually fled on foot from his car. One of the officers testified that Defendant was wearing a Los Angeles Lakers jersey as he ran away.

{3} Defendant was eventually found by one of the officers in the courtyard of an apartment complex hiding next to a fence and behind an old refrigerator. He was no longer wearing the Lakers jersey and was holding a white t-shirt in his hands. Defendant was handcuffed as he walked out from behind the refrigerator. The arresting officer found a Lakers jersey on the ground where Defendant had been hiding. A large plastic bag containing cocaine was found underneath the refrigerator.

{4} Defendant was subsequently booked at the Hobbs City Jail. Shortly thereafter, Defendant used the telephone in the booking area to call his girlfriend. During the call, Defendant directed his girlfriend to pick up a necklace and keys near the courtyard where Defendant had hidden from the police. On appeal, the State characterizes the conversation between Defendant and his girlfriend as “guarded” and asserts that they were speaking in code.

{5} On June 14, 2004, Defendant made a second telephone call. During this conversation, Defendant made a number of statements regarding drugs and also admitted to owning a Lakers jersey. Defendant also expressed concern that he may face federal charges for his actions. Both telephone calls were recorded by jail officials.

{6} Prior to trial, Defendant orally argued to exclude at trial the tape recordings of the telephone conversations from jail. Defendant asserted that under State v. Coyazo, 1997-NMCA-029, 123 N.M. 200, 936 P.2d 882, the conversations could not be admitted unless the State could establish that Defendant had notice that his telephone conversations were being monitored. Treating Defendant’s oral motion as a motion to suppress, the district court ruled that both conversations were admissible because Defendant had no reasonable expectation of privacy while in jail. Defendant was later convicted by a jury.

DISCUSSION

{7} On appeal, Defendant argues that the district court erred by failing to suppress the tape recordings of his two telephone calls because the calls were protected by the Abuse of Privacy Act, the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and Article II, Section 10 of the New Mexico Constitution. Defendant further contends that if the tape recordings are excluded, there is insufficient evidence to support the verdict against him and the charge against him should therefore be dismissed. We conclude that although the district court properly concluded that Defendant had no reasonable expectation of privacy, and therefore that no constitutional violation had occurred, the court failed to properly consider the provisions of the Abuse of Privacy Act. In applying the provisions of the Abuse of Privacy Act, we hold that the tape of Defendant’s first telephone call should have been excluded. As to the second telephone call, we hold that it was not obtained in contravention of Defendant’s rights under the Abuse of Privacy Act and that it is therefore admissible at trial. We reject Defendant’s remaining contentions.

A. Motion to Suppress

1. Standard of Review

{8} Defendant’s appeal of the denial of his motion to suppress presents a mixed question of law and fact. State v. Gerald B., 2006-NMCA-022, ¶13, 139 N.M. 113, 129 P.3d 149. We will defer to the district court’s findings of fact, provided that such findings are supported by substantial evidence. State v. Jason L., 2000-NMSC-018, ¶10, 129 N.M. 119, 2 P.3d 856. “[A]U reasonable inferences in support of the [district] court’s decision will be indulged in, and all inferences or evidence to the contrary will be disregarded.” State v. Boeglin, 100 N.M. 127, 132, 666 P.2d 1274, 1279 (Ct.App.1983). After accepting the district court’s factual findings as accurate, we then determine whether the district court correctly applied the law to the facts. Jason L., 2000-NMSC-018, ¶10, 129 N.M. 119, 2 P.3d 856. We “review the application of the law to these facts, including determinations of reasonable suspicion, under a de novo standard of review.” State v. Patterson, 2006-NMCA-037, ¶13, 139 N.M. 322, 131 P.3d 1286.

2. Abuse of Privacy Act

{9} The Abuse of Privacy Act “prohibits interference with certain types of electronic communications, including ‘reading, interrupting, taking or copying any message, communication or report intended for another by telegraph or telephone without the consent of a sender or intended recipient thereof.’ ” Coyazo, 1997-NMCA-029, ¶9, 123 N.M. 200, 936 P.2d 882 (quoting § 30-12-1(0). Interference with electronic communications, however, may be lawful when done under certain circumstances, including:

(1) under a court order as provided in Sections 30-12-2 through 30-12-11 NMSA 1978; or
(2) by an operator of a switchboard or an officer, employee or agent of any communication common carrier in the normal course of his employment while engaged in any activity which is a necessary incident to the rendition of his services or to the protection of rights or property of the carrier of such communication; or
(3) by a person acting under color of law in the investigation of a crime, where such person is a party to the communication, or one of the parties to the communication has given prior consent to such interception, monitoring or recording of such communication.

Section 30-12-l(E). In the present case, we are concerned with the third exception, which excludes those communications in which one of the parties to the communication has consented to its monitoring or recording. Section 30 — 12—1(E)(3); see Coyazo, 1997-NMCA-029, ¶12, 123 N.M. 200, 936 P.2d 882 (“The provisions of the Abuse of Privacy Act evince a clear showing that the legislature intended to restrict the interception of telephone or other electronic communications where there has been no ‘prior consent’ by one of the parties thereto[.]”).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2007 NMCA 108, 165 P.3d 1145, 142 N.M. 369, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-templeton-nmctapp-2007.