State v. White

424 P.2d 402, 77 N.M. 488
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 23, 1967
Docket8143
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 424 P.2d 402 (State v. White) 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. White, 424 P.2d 402, 77 N.M. 488 (N.M. 1967).

Opinion

OPINION

COMPTON, Justice.

Defendant, on a change of venue from Curry County to Quay County, was convicted of thfe crime of rape and, from the judgment imposing sentence, he appeals.

The defendant first complains that his constitutional rights were violated because of unreasonable delay in taking him before a magistrate. On August 3, 1965, at approximately 5:17 p. m., defendant was arrested on the streets of Clovis, New Mexico. He was taken directly to the city hall where 'he was immediately informed of his constitutional rights. After being so informed, defendant attempted to arrange for the services of an attorney by telephone. The time of day being after the normal business hours, the defendant was unable to locate the desired attorney. At approximately 5:32 p. m., after -he had attempted to -engage legal counsel, defendant was taken by automobile to the Clovis hospital, where the prosecutrix had been taken. There, the prosecutrix identified /he defendant as her assailant. As the police officers and the defendant left the hospital, at approximately 5:37 p. m., an officer called by radio and arranged to have a justice of the peace come to the city hall. The justice of the peace arrived at the city hall at 5:41 p. m., and defendant was immediately taken before him for arraignment. He was then given sufficient time to procure counsel of his choice before further proceedings were had.

The defendant while recognizing that the time lapse between arrest and appearance before the magistrate, 30 minutes at most, is a relatively short period of time, nevertheless, argues that under the circumstances the delay was unreasonable because without legal counsel defendant was presented singly before the prosecuting witness and without the benefit of a.lineup. This line of reasoning must 'be rejected; the process was then in its investigatory stage. No confession nor any exculpatory or inculpatory statements were made by defendant, nor does it appear that defendant was ever interrogated without his counsel being present.

Some reference has been made to Miranda v. State of Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694, as having announced new principles concerning the right to counsel. Even if the principles announced there were applicable to the facts of this case, defendant is in no position to rely on Miranda as that case has been held to apply to cases where the trial began after June 13, 1966. Johnson v. State of New Jersey, 384 U.S. 719, 86 S.Ct. 1772, 16 L.Ed.2d 882. In Miranda v. State of Arizona, supra, it was stated that the principles announced there dealt with the protection of the privilege against self-incrimination.

We fail to see how defendant would benefit even if we were to apply Miranda retrospectively, which the states are free to do. Johnson v. State of New Jersey, supra. In Kennedy v. United States, (1965) 122 U.S.App.D.C. 291, 353 F.2d 462, the court ruled that Escobedo v. State of Illinois, 378 U.S. 478, 84 S.Ct. 1758, 12 L.Ed.2d 977, did not require exclusion of identification evidence obtained in absence of counsel.

The act of allowing the prosecutrix to view the defendant for the purpose of identifying him did not violate his constitutional privilege against self-incrimination. United States ex rel. Stovall v. Denno, (2nd Cir. 1966) 355 F.2d 731; Kennedy v. United States, supra; Copeland v. United States, (1965) 120 U.S.App.D.C. 5, 343 F.2d 287; and Caldwell v. United States, (8th Cir. 1964) 338 F.2d 385. See, also, 8 Wigmore, Evidence, McNaughton Rev., § 2265. We note, however, that in Wade v. United States, (5th Cir. 1966) 358 F.2d 557, while holding the accused to be entitled to counsel during the identification process, the court looked to see if the accused had been prejudiced by lack of counsel. It was held, under the particular facts of that case, that the identification process was unfair and that legal representation might have prevented the unfairness. The elements that the court found to be unfair in Wade are not found in this case. The case most factually similar to the present case is United States ex rel. Stovall v. Denno, supra. There the accused was identified by his victim at the hospital without a lineup. The court said:

“If Stovall had had counsel, what could counsel have done to thwart the identification? He could not have demanded Stovall’s immediate release so that no one might see him. He could not have arranged to have Stovall continuously wear a hood or mask over his face- to avoid identification, nor could he have ordered the police forthwith-to halt their identification activities. * * ” Accord, see Kennedy v. United States, supra.

Defendant argues that his identification without having been placed in a lineup constituted a denial of due proccess. In Kennedy v. United States, supra, the court specifically held, “An accused has no right to be viewed in a lineup rather than singly.” In United States ex rel. Stovall v. Denno, supra, the court, discussing numerous authorities, held that the method used went only to the weight of the evidence, not to its admissibility. We do not find the identification procedure unfair or a denial of due process.

We conclude that there was no unreasonable delay in bringing defendant before a magistrate. Compare State v. Barreras, 64 N.M. 300, 328 P.2d 74.

The defendant complains of eight, articles appearing in the local Clovis news-' paper in which it was revealed that the defendant had just been paroled from prison, thus preventing him from receiving a fair trial in Curry County. Specifically, he claims error in the refusal of the court to grant a continuance in Curry County for the term as a result of such publications.We see no error in this regard. The court recognizing that defendant’s rights possibly had been violated, indicated he would grant a continuance, but not for the full term. Instead of standing on his motion for a continuance for the full term, defendant stipulated to a change of venue. Having agreed to a change of venue, he waived any right he may have had to insist on a continuance of the case in Curry County. A change of venue is an effective means of overcoming local bias and prejudice. See State v. Alaniz, 55 N.M. 312, 232 P.2d 982, and Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333, 86 S.Ct. 1507, 16 L.Ed.2d 600.

Defendant makes the argument that the record is void of evidence that the prosecutrix and defendant were not husband and wife at the time of the crime. We disagree.

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Bluebook (online)
424 P.2d 402, 77 N.M. 488, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-white-nm-1967.