State v. Trujillo

1979 NMCA 055, 605 P.2d 236, 93 N.M. 728
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 12, 1979
Docket3751
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 1979 NMCA 055 (State v. Trujillo) 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. Trujillo, 1979 NMCA 055, 605 P.2d 236, 93 N.M. 728 (N.M. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinion

OPINION

WOOD, Chief Judge.

Defendant appeals his conviction of trafficking in heroin. Section 30-31-20, N.M.S. A.1978. 1. Three issues are answered summarily. 2. We discuss cross-examination of defendant on the basis of his involuntary statement.

Issues Answered Summarily

(a) Defendant was scheduled for trial on September 26, 1977 but did not appear for trial. Testimony as to the chain of custody of the heroin brought out that the heroin had been brought to court previously (on September 26, 1977). The claim that there was prosecutor misconduct by eliciting the chain of custody testimony is frivolous.

Officer Gallegos testified as to defendant’s nonappearance for the scheduled trial in September, 1977, and that defendant was arrested in Utah within “the past several months” prior to trial on May 5, 1978. Defendant recognizes that evidence of flight is admissible, but asserts that such evidence was improperly admitted in this case. There was no objection to the “flight” evidence at trial; the propriety of the “flight” evidence is not properly before us for review. N.M.Crim.App. 308. We answer one of defendant’s arguments under this issue because of defendant’s misunderstanding of “flight” evidence.

Defendant contends there must be evidence of “consciousness of guilt” in order for “flight” evidence to be admissible. “Flight” evidence is admissible because that evidence “tends to show consciousness of guilt.” State v. Smith, 89 N.M. 777, 558 P.2d 46 (Ct.App.1976), rev’d on other grounds, Smith v. State, 89 N.M. 770, 558 P.2d 39 (1976). “Consciousness of guilt” is an inference that may be drawn from the “flight” evidence and is not an evidentiary predicate for the admission of “flight” evidence. “Flight” evidence is admissible under Evidence Rule 404(b) “because probative of an absence of accident on defendant’s part . . .” State v. Smith, supra.

(b) When asked on direct examination if he had sold heroin on the date charged, defendant answered: “No. I can take a lie detector test too.” The prosecutor cross-examined defendant on whether he had taken a lie detector test. The cross-examination brought out that defendant had taken a test and that the results of the test were inconclusive.

Defendant contends the cross-examination was prosecutor misconduct because the prosecutor knew that the results of an inconclusive test were inadmissible, because irrelevant.

State v. Bell, 90 N.M. 134, 560 P.2d 925 (1977) holds that the results of an inconclusive test are inadmissible because such results prove nothing. Here, however, defendant had sought to enhance his credibility by his offer, in the presence of the jury, to take the test. The prosecutor’s cross-examination concerning a prior inconclusive test was a proper attack on defendant’s credibility. Evidence Rule 607. The inconclusive results of the prior inconclusive test became available to the prosecutor when defendant interjected his willingness to take the test into the trial. See State v. Gutierrez, 91 N.M. 54, 570 P.2d 592 (1977).

(c) Defendant’s testimony raised the question of mistaken identity; that the agent who purchased the heroin was mistaken as to the person who sold the heroin. Some of the questioning concerning identity involved defendant’s tatoos and the possible similar markings of another person present at the scene of the heroin sale. A nonresponsive answer of defendant interjected that the police could have obtained information about defendant’s tatoos from prior police reports; “it is not the first time that I have been pictured by the cops.” After this answer and while questioning defendant on the identity issue, the prosecutor asked defendant if he had been arrested by Officer Byford for selling marijuana. Defendant’s motion for a mistrial was denied “in the posture in which the question was asked.” The “posture” was defendant’s mistaken identity defense and defendant’s interjection that “his tatoo was of record . .” However, the trial court ruled that questions concerning marijuana sales were irrelevant, and instructed the jury to disregard the question and answer concerning a marijuana sale.

Subsequently in the prosecutor’s cross-examination, by artful questions concerning defendant’s sale of controlled substances, the prosecutor elicited that defendant had sold marijuana to Officer Byford. The trial court again sustained defendant’s objection, and again ruled that the marijuana sale was irrelevant.

Questioning concerning the marijuana sale, after the trial court’s ruling that the sale was irrelevant, was prosecutor misconduct. We need not decide whether this misconduct was reversible error; however, see Albertson v. State, 89 N.M. 499, 554 P.2d 661 (1976). This question is not decided because the cross-examination of defendant concerning his statement requires a new trial.

Cross-Examination of Defendant Concerning His Statement

At an evidentiary hearing, prior to trial, it was brought out that an agreement was reached between the State and the defendant. The agreement was that defendant was to attempt to “set up” another individual in connection with heroin offenses and that defendant’s punishment in this case would vary, dependent upon defendant’s efforts. There is evidence that defendant did not carry out his agreement; however, defendant’s nonperformance is not involved in this issue.

The transcript indicates that shortly after the agreement was made, defendant made statements which tended to incriminate him in connection with the offense in this case. There is nothing indicating these incriminating statements were made after defendant breached his agreement. The trial court’s view, which is not attacked on appeal, is that “defendant made these statements with the knowledge that he had a deal

The trial court ruled the statements were involuntary and would not be admissible in the State’s case-in-chief. The trial court reserved a ruling as to whether the statements were admissible for impeachment purposes.

Having denied, on his direct examination, that he sold the heroin in question, defendant was cross-examined concerning the statement that had been excluded from evidence during the State’s case-in-chief. The trial court permitted this examination because the Miranda (Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966)) warnings had been given. Defendant asserts this cross-examination was error. We agree.

There are two prerequisites for the admissibility of statements — a prima facie showing of voluntariness and compliance with the advice of rights required by Miranda v. Arizona, supra. State v. Gallegos, 92 N.M. 336, 587 P.2d 1347 (Ct.App.1978).

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Bluebook (online)
1979 NMCA 055, 605 P.2d 236, 93 N.M. 728, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-trujillo-nmctapp-1979.