Case Title: State v. Mendoza

Citation: 107 Ariz. 51, 481 P.2d 844

Docket Number: 2164

State: arizona

Court: Arizona Supreme Court

Date: 1971-03-05T00:00:00Z

Document:
107 Ariz. 51 (1971) 481 P.2d 844 The STATE of Arizona, Appellee, v. Victor Romero MENDOZA, aka Victor Cruz Mendoza, Appellant. No. 2164. Supreme Court of Arizona, In Banc. March 5, 1971. *52 Gary K. Nelson, Atty. Gen., by Carl Waag, Asst. Atty. Gen., Phoenix, for appellee. James B. Greenwood, Bisbee, for appellant. CAMERON, Justice. This is an appeal from jury verdicts and judgments of guilt to the crimes of rape in the 1st degree, § 13-611, as amended, and § 13-614, subsec. C A.R.S., as amended, and assault with a deadly weapon, to wit: a knife, § 13-249 A.R.S., as amended. The defendant entered a plea of guilty to Count III of the information charging a prior conviction (robbery and aggravated assault) pursuant to § 13-1649 A.R.S. Defendant was sentenced to 10 to 15 years on each offense, the time to be served concurrently. We are called upon to answer three questions: The facts necessary for a determination of the matter on appeal are as follows. Defendant, through a friend, had obtained the services of the victim, a 15-year-old high school girl to "baby-sit" in Bisbee, Arizona, with the children of his girl friend. Shortly after midnight he returned and proceeded to drive the baby-sitter home in his automobile. Instead of going to her house, however, he drove south of Bisbee and between Bisbee and Naco, turned off the main highway and there placed the point of a knife at her neck and forced her to submit to sexual intercourse. He returned the victim to her mother's house about 2:00 a.m. The victim told her parents what had occurred and the mother and father took the girl to the Bisbee Police Station. An immediate search was made of the area where the rape occurred. The knife defendant used in the attack was found at the scene and a medical examination of the victim corroborated her story. Defendant's finger-prints were found on the knife. Defendant was held to answer and after arraignment in Superior Court defendant *53 was appointed an attorney to represent him. His attorney filed a timely motion to remand for preliminary hearing supported by an affidavit of the defendant which recited that the defendant had waived the preliminary hearing in reliance upon the magistrate's representation that said magistrate could not appoint counsel for him, and that until he was arraigned in the Superior Court he would have to employ his own. After hearing, the motion for remand was denied but a motion of the defendant for discovery and examination was granted. WAS IT ERROR NOT TO REMAND THE MATTER TO THE JUSTICE COURT FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING? Defendant waived his preliminary hearing and was held to answer to the Superior Court. At the time of his arraignment in the Superior Court, counsel was appointed to represent him and counsel asked that the matter be remanded to the Justice Court for a preliminary hearing. This motion was later supplemented by an affidavit of the defendant which stated that he had requested an attorney be appointed to represent him when he appeared before the Justice of the Peace and that: The affidavit of the Justice of the Peace filed by the County Attorney in opposition to the motion to remand for preliminary hearing stated as follows: The notes of the Justice of the Peace contain the following: The attorney for the defendant also moved the court under the provisions of Rule 195, Rules of Criminal Procedure, 17 A.R.S., for discovery and inspection of numerous documents and evidence possessed by the County Attorney. The motion for discovery was granted and the motion for a preliminary hearing was denied. The rule in Arizona is well-settled that a defendant may waive a preliminary hearing. State v. Hansen, 105 Ariz. 368, 464 P.2d 960 (1970), State v. Davis, 105 Ariz. 498, 467 P.2d 743 (1970), and even where requested the failure to assign counsel to represent defendant at a preliminary hearing is not error where there is no evidence that the trial is prejudiced thereby. State v. Smith, 99 Ariz. 106, 407 P.2d 74 (1965); State v. Wise, 101 Ariz. 315, 419 P.2d 342 (1966); and State v. Miranda, 104 Ariz. 174, 450 P.2d 364 (1969). Defendant, however, *54 cites the United States Supreme Court case of Coleman v. Alabama, 399 U.S. 1, 90 S. Ct. 1999, 26 L. Ed. 2d 387, 22 June 1970. Coleman v. Alabama, supra, was decided after the events took place in this case and we have held that Coleman, supra, is not to be given retroactive application. State v. Riley, 106 Ariz. 318, 475 P.2d 932 (1970). However, regardless of the retroactivity of Coleman, the United States Supreme Court made it clear that where the failure to appoint counsel at the preliminary hearing is shown to be non-prejudicial, the matter need not be reversed on appeal. The Supreme Court stated: In the instant case the attorney had the benefit of receiving from the County Attorney every item he requested in his motion for discovery and the record does not indicate that the attorney for the defendant was in the dark as to any item of evidence nor was he hampered in any way in his abilities to defend the defendant. Under the circumstances, we do not feel that the defendant was prejudiced by his lack of counsel at the preliminary hearing or the failure of the court to remand for preliminary hearing. WAS THE STATE'S CROSS-EXAMINATION IMPROPER? Defendant took the stand in his own defense and the following questions were asked: Our Court has held that when a defendant takes the stand in his own behalf, he may be impeached by prior convictions even if the convictions have been charged in the information and admitted by the defendant. State v. Foggy, 101 Ariz. 459, 420 P.2d 934 (1967). *55 WERE THE INSTRUCTIONS PROPER? Defendant contends that the court erred in failing to instruct the jury as to a lesser included offense. The trial court did give an instruction on statutory rape (§ 13-611, subsec. B A.R.S.) as well as assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily harm (§ 13-249, subsec. A A.R.S.) and aggravated assault (§ 13-245 A.R.S.). Generally, in the absence of a request by the appellant for an instruction on lesser included offenses, it is error for the trial court to give such instruction. Uren v. State, 27 Ariz. 491, 232 P. 398 (1925). We find no such request in the record and having failed to make such a request to the trial court, the failure to request not being fundamental, we will not consider the matter on appeal. The defendant contends next the court failed to instruct the jury to consider each count of the information separately and that they had to "decide each count separately and on the evidence in law applicable to it uninfluenced by * * * the other counts", and that the defendant could be "convicted or acquitted on any one or all of the offenses charged." We find no such requested instruction in the record, but if one had been given such as that cited above by the defendant, it would have clearly been error. Our statute reads: Our statutes read: And: In a recent opinion of this Court, wherein the defendant was charged with attempted kidnapping while armed with a gun, Count I, and assault with a deadly weapon or instrument, to wit: a gun, Count II, both offenses or counts arising out of the same act, our Court stated that the "practical test is to eliminate the elements in one charge and determine whether the facts left would support the other charge." State v. Mitchell, 106 Ariz. 492, 478 P.2d 517, 520 (1970). In the instant case, it is clear that the element of force or violence necessary to the crime of 1st degree rape was supplied by the fear of personal violence induced by the defendant's usage of a deadly weapon, to wit: the knife, and *56 without such usage that element of 1st degree rape would not exist. As was stated in State v. French, 104 Ariz. 359, 361, 453 P.2d 505, 507 (1969): We do not by this opinion hold that there cannot be fact situations wherein a person may be convicted of both assault and 1st degree rape. That determination must be made on a case to case basis. We do hold that under the facts in this case the two convictions and sentences cannot stand together. So much of the previous opinions by this court in State v. Moncayo, 94 Ariz. 390, 385 P.2d 521 (1963) and State v. Enriquez, 104 Ariz. 16, 448 P.2d 72 (1968), rehearing denied 14 January 1969, as are in conflict herewith are, by this opinion, overruled. Our court has stated that where a person is convicted and sentenced on two counts based upon one act, that the trial judge should then set aside the lesser conviction. State v. Ballez, 102 Ariz. 174, 427 P.2d 125 (1967). In view of the fact that the sentences imposed herein are the same and are concurrent, it will not be necessary to remand for resentencing. It is ordered that, with the issuance of the mandate herein, the conviction and judgment and sentence for assault with a deadly weapon is reversed. No further action is required by the trial court. Judgment affirmed. STRUCKMEYER, C.J., H. HAYS, V.C.J., and UDALL and LOCKWOOD, JJ., concur.