State v. Tijerina

519 P.2d 127, 86 N.M. 31
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 2, 1973
Docket9625
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 519 P.2d 127 (State v. Tijerina) 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. Tijerina, 519 P.2d 127, 86 N.M. 31 (N.M. 1973).

Opinion

OPINION

MARTINEZ, Justice.

This case is before this Court pursuant to § 16-7-14(C) (2), N.M.S.A.1953 Comp. (Repl. Vol. 4, 1970) which authorizes the Court of Appeals to certify to the Supreme Court issues of substantial public interest which should be determined by the Supreme Court. The court of appeals considered that it was precluded by the provisions of § 16-7-11, N.M.S.A.1953 Comp. (Repl. Vol. 4, 1970) from calling in an additional judge or judges to decide this case in which the result was not concurred in by at least two judges. We have no disagreement with this reasoning because we have not seen fit to modify the operation of the statute by rule. Cf. Alexander v. Delgado, 84 N.M. 717, 507 P.2d 778 (1973). It was thus impossible for that Court to proceed further.

The Court of Appeals did produce three opinions in its consideration of this case. State v. Tijerina, 84 N.M. 432, 504 P.2d 642 (1972). Judge Hernandez would have affirmed the appellant’s conviction on all of the eighteen points raised by him in his brief, Judge Sutin would have reversed and remanded for a new trial on the issue of venue, while Judge Hendíey would have reversed and remanded for discharge on the issue of collateral estoppel. This Court approves of the opinion written by Judge Hernandez and adopts it as its own.

We note the opinion of Judge Sutin, State v. Tijerina, 84 N.M. at 444. It consists mainly of attacking our opinion in Valdez v. State, 83 N.M. 720, 497 P.2d 231 (1972). There seems to be an element of confusion between whether our opinion states the law and whether Judge Sutin agrees with it. Our concern is with the former. Judge Sutin mentions that a petition for certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States was then pending. That petition, however, was denied on December 18, 1972. The opinion offered by Judge Sutin has no merit.

The opinion of Judge Hendley deals primarily with the issue of collateral estoppel which is correctly dealt with by Judge Hernandez. However, the following is offered as a supplement to Judge Hernandez’ opinion and a clarification of the collateral estoppel issue.

The United States Supreme Court has announced that the Fifth Amendment guarantee against double jeopardy is enforceable against the states through the Fourteenth Amendment. Benton v. Maryland, 395 U.S. 784, 89 S.Ct. 2056, 23 L.Ed. 2d 707 (1969). It has also held that collateral estoppel is a part of the guarantee against double jeopardy. Ashe v. Swenson, 397 U.S. 346, 90 S.Ct. 1189, 25 L.Ed.2d 469 (1970). “‘Collateral estoppel’ is an awkward phrase, but it stands for an extremely important principle in our adversary system of justice. It means simply that when an issue of ultimate fact has once been determined by a valid and final judgment, that issue cannot again be litigated between the same parties in any future lawsuit.” Id. at 443, 90 S.Ct. at 1194, 25 L.Ed.2d at 475. Therefore, the question involved before this Court is whether or not the State of New Mexico has violated this guarantee in its second prosecution of the defendant for the crimes of assault with intent to commit a violent felony in violation of § 40A-3-3 N.M.S.A.1953 Comp. (2d Repl. Vol. 6, 1972), and false imprisonment, in violation of § 40A-4 — 3 N.M.S.A.1953 Comp. (2d Repl. Vol. 6, 1972).

The United States Supreme Court has pointed to the following guideline in deciding collateral estoppel questions:

“The federal decisions have made clear that the rule of collateral estoppel in criminal cases is not to be applied with the hypertechnical and archaic approach of a 19th century pleading book, but with realism and rationality. Where a previous judgment of acquittal was based upon a general verdict, as is usually the case, this approach requires a court to ‘examine the record of a prior proceeding, taking into account the pleadings, evidence, charge, and other relevant matter, and conclude whether a rational jury could have grounded its verdict upon an issue other than that which the defendant seeks to foreclose from consideration.’ The inquiry ‘must be set in a practical frame and viewed with an eye to all the circumstances of the proceedings.’ Sealfon v. United States, 332 U.S. 575, 579, 68 S.Ct. 237, 240 [, 92 L.Ed. 341].”

Ashe v. Swenson, 397 U.S. 436, 444, 90 S. Ct. 1189, 1194, 25 L.Ed.2d 469, 475 (1970).

The United States Supreme Court in Ashe v. Swenson, supra, did not apply the “same transaction” test which would prohibit the piecemeal prosecution of multiple crimes arising out of the same transaction. Nor did it apply the “same evidence” test which would prohibit a second prosecution only when the matter set out in the second indictment would have been sufficient to secure a conviction on the first. What the court did adopt was a test that looked to all the relevant matters of the trial, and sought to determine whether or not the jury, in reaching its verdict in the first trial, necessarily or actually determined the same issues which the State attempts to raise in the second trial. Therefore, the test proposed in Ashe v. Swenson, supra, will be utilized by this Court in considering whether or not the second trial and convictions violate the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments’ protection against double jeopardy.

In the first trial, the defendant was accused of falsely imprisoning and kidnapping Dan Rivera, not Pete Jaramillo. Although the defendant was indicted for the same criminal violation in both trials, the victims of the false imprisonment charges differed. Similarly, the defendant, in the first trial, was accused of assault on a jail and not assault with intent to commit a felony. An assault on a jail refers to an inanimate and insensate object as its victim. § 40A-22-18, N.M.S.A.1953 Comp. (2d Repl.Vol. 6, 1972) provides:

“Unlawful assault on any jail consists of any person or group of persons assaulting or attacking any jail, prison or other public building or place of confinement of prisoners held in lawful custody or confinement.”

On the other hand, assault with intent to commit a felony refers to a person as the victim, one who is presumably animated and sensate. § 40A-3-3, N.M.S.A.1953 Comp. (2d Repl. Vol. 6, 1972) provides:

“Assault with intent to commit a violent felony consists of any person assaulting another with intent to kill or to commit any murder, mayhem, rape, robbery or burglary.”

On its face, it is unquestionably true that the charge of assault with intent to commit a felony requires the jury to consider facts riot required in the first trial. Therefore, the conviction of assault with intent to commit a felony on Eulogio Salazar in the second trial is not the same charge as assault on a jail.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Anderson and State v. Wilson
2021 NMCA 031 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2021)
State v. Gastelum
New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2020
State v. Gonzales
2013 NMSC 016 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 2013)
State v. Gonzalez
2013 NMSC 16 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 2013)
State v. Gallegos
2007 NMSC 007 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 2007)
State v. Arevalo
2002 NMCA 062 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2002)
State v. Arellano
1998 NMSC 026 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1998)
State v. Johnson
1996 NMSC 075 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1996)
State v. Jenkins
777 P.2d 908 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1989)
State v. Johnson
707 P.2d 1174 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1985)
State v. Muise
707 P.2d 1192 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1985)
State Ex Rel. Human Services Department v. Gomez
657 P.2d 117 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1982)
El Paso Natural Gas Co. v. Kysar Insurance Agency, Inc.
605 P.2d 240 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1979)
State v. Garcia
596 P.2d 264 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1979)
State v. Luna
594 P.2d 340 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1979)
State v. Robinson
600 P.2d 286 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1979)
Royal International Optical Co. v. Texas State Optical Co.
586 P.2d 318 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1978)
State v. DeSantos
575 P.2d 612 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1978)
State v. Rogers
566 P.2d 1142 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1977)
State v. Slayton
564 P.2d 1329 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
519 P.2d 127, 86 N.M. 31, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-tijerina-nm-1973.