Title: State v. Simien

State: new-mexico

Issuer: New Mexico Supreme Court

Document:

437 P.2d 708 (1968) 78 N.M. 709 STATE of New Mexico, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Wilton S. SIMIEN, Defendant-Appellant. No. 8351. Supreme Court of New Mexico. February 19, 1968. Beavers & Caton, Farmington, for appellant. Boston E. Witt, Atty. Gen., James V. Noble, Edward R. Pearson, Asst. Attys. Gen., Santa Fe, for appellee. CHAVEZ, Chief Justice. Defendant-appellant Wilton S. Simien attacked by motion under Rule 93 (§ 21-1-1 (93), N.M.S.A., 1953 Comp.), the judgment and sentence imposed upon him in 1965 by the District Court of San Juan County. After a hearing, at which appellant and others testified concerning the crime of which appellant had been convicted, appellant's arrest, interrogation and guilty plea, appellant's motion was denied and appeal from the denial was taken. Under appellant's Rule 93 motion, three points were raised under which appellant alleged that he was arrested without a warrant and his car illegally searched without a search warrant; that, during the course of police interrogation, he was not advised of his right to counsel, did not have effective counsel and was not allowed to obtain counsel; and that he was made by the police to give evidence against himself without effective aid of counsel and without other help of any kind. At the hearing on appellant's motion, in addition to presenting *709 evidence concerning these allegations, appellant presented evidence which he contends demonstrated unfair dealing by the police amounting to solicitation and entrapment which alleged unfair dealing deprived appellant of due process of law. Appellant's requested findings of fact and conclusions of law were denied. Appellant raises five points on appeal. We first consider appellant's points III and V together, which are as follows: With regard to appellant's right to counsel and his plea, the trial court made the following findings of fact which are not attacked: Appellant argues that the trial court erred in not making requested findings of fact to the effect that (1) appellant was denied his right to assistance of counsel at a critical stage of the proceedings; (2) appellant was required to give evidence against himself, contrary to the New Mexico and United States Constitutions; (3) appellant was threatened with prosecution for theft and told that the Habitual Criminal Act would be imposed on him if he did not assist the police in securing the arrest and conviction of one Smith; (4) appellant was promised by police officers that he would be allowed to go free if he would assist the police in staging a crime which would allow the police to arrest and prosecute Smith; (5) appellant, as a result of the mentioned threats, did stage a robbery in which Smith was implicated; (6) that as a result of this robbery, Smith was convicted of aiding a felon to escape; (7) appellant, after his arrest for this robbery, was promised leniency by the police; (8) appellant, as a result of these promises of leniency, did not cooperate with his appointed attorney and insisted on pleading guilty; and (9) appellant's guilty plea was induced by threats and promises of leniency. Appellant also contends that it was error to deny his requested conclusions of law to the effect that (1) as a result of the denial of assistance of counsel, and for other reasons not germane to appellant's point III, appellant was denied his right to a fair and impartial trial and to due process of law, in violation of the New Mexico and United States Constitutions; (2) appellant was denied the right to counsel to his irreparable damage and prejudice, in violation *710 of the New Mexico and United States Constitutions; and (3) appellant did not voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently plead guilty to the charge of robbery. The question here is whether or not there was substantial evidence to support the trial court's findings of fact and whether the trial court was correct in making conclusions of law to the effect that (1) the entire proceedings were in all respects complete and proper; (2) appellant knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily, while being advised by competent counsel, entered a plea of guilty; and (3) appellant's counsel effectively represented appellant in the proceedings. The burden of proof at the Rule 93 hearing rested upon appellant to convince the court of his allegations by a preponderance of the evidence. State v. Chavez, 78 N.M. 446, 432 P.2d 411; and compare, State v. Gilbert, 78 N.M. 437, 432 P.2d 402; State v. Coates, 78 N.M. 366, 431 P.2d 744; State v. Moser, 78 N.M. 212, 430 P.2d 106. To support his contentions, appellant relies on his own testimony at the hearing on his motion under Rule 93, which testimony is in part as follows. Prior to the commission of the acts constituting the crime of which appellant was convicted, appellant came in contact with Lt. Boyce of the Farmington Police Department in connection with appellant's making a false charge, taking an amount of money and taking a television set which did not belong to him. No charges were filed in these matters. Appellant testified Lt. Boyce told him that charges could be filed but that he was not going to file charges; instead he believed he could use appellant to work with him by reporting daily to the police what certain persons known to appellant were doing. Appellant's testimony continued: Upon appellant's failure on one occasion to help the police, appellant testified that Boyce came and got appellant. Appellant testified that thereafter Boyce and Officer Tafoya planned with appellant that appellant should interest one Smith in robbing a certain cleaning establishment, which robbery was supposed to be a trap for Smith; however, appellant was unable to interest Smith in this plan. Shortly thereafter appellant was charged with drunken driving but, according to appellant, Boyce "fixed" the ticket for him. Then appellant moved again, not telling Boyce where he had moved, but appellant stated that Boyce found out where and "* * * he come and got me and he said that was either get him or the charge would be filed tomorrow." Once at the cafe, Smith went inside to drink coffee and appellant waited in the car. Appellant took a gun from the car, put it in his clothes, went into the cafe where he sat at a different table than Smith and ate some food. The two drove off and when they stopped at a filling station they were taken into custody by the police. Appellant was taken immediately to the booking desk at the Farmington Police Department. He testified that, after five or ten minutes, he was confronted by Boyce who told him: When appellant was taken before a magistrate, he was informed that counsel would be appointed and a plea of not guilty was entered for him. Appellant testified that after this he was returned to Boyce's office to sign a statement. When asked if he signed the statement, appellant answered: Appellant conferred with his attorney and a preliminary hearing was held, at which appellant was represented by counsel. Appellant's testimony, covering the time after preliminary hearing up through his guilty plea and judgment, is as follows: As to threats that the Habitual Criminal Act (Multiple Offenders Act) would be imposed on him, appellant testified: Appellant does not attack the trial court's findings of fact that appellant was advised of the charge against him, of his right to counsel at his arraignment in the justice of the peace court and that appellant, while represented by counsel, entered a plea of guilty to the charge of armed robbery in the district court. These are, therefore, the facts in this court. Morris v. Merchant, 77 N.M. 411, 423 P.2d 606; Hutchison v. Boney, 72 N.M. 194, 382 P.2d 525; Latta v. Harvey, 67 N.M. 72, 352 P.2d 649. However, appellant's contention basically is that, even though these findings are taken as true, the testimony at the hearing on appellant's motion under Rule 93 shows that the police dealt with appellant in such a way that appellant did not have representation of counsel sufficient to satisfy the requirements of due process, and that appellant did not, under these circumstances, voluntarily, intelligently and knowingly plead guilty. At appellant's arraignment in the district court, his appointed counsel stated to the court that appellant had been advised of his rights, that appellant fully understood the charges against him, and that appellant wished to enter a plea of guilty. The court then asked appellant if this was correct and if this was voluntary on appellant's part, and appellant answered in the affirmative. Lt. Boyce's testimony, in part, is as follows: When asked whether he had ever contacted appellant, Boyce answered "no." He stated that one of the detectives had arrested appellant in connection with the theft of a television set, but that charges were never pressed in that matter. With regard to the charge of armed robbery, on cross-examination Boyce was asked: The testimony of the attorney who was appointed to represent appellant prior to appellant's conviction does not add anything of substance to the testimony of appellant. Although intended to buttress the credibility of appellant's testimony, it served principally to establish that appellant had been fully advised of his rights. With regard to appellant's requested findings of fact Nos. 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9, we are faced with a conflict in the testimony. The district court, not this court, is the judge of the credibility of the witnesses and the weight to be given the evidence. The district judge had the opportunity to see and hear those who testified at the hearing and was in a better position than we are to evaluate the witnesses' credibility. Apparently the trial court believed Boyce rather than appellant. Where, as here, there is substantial evidence to support the trial court's determination of the fact issues, that determination is conclusive on appeal. State v. Gilbert, supra; State v. Chavez, supra; State v. Gibby, 78 N.M. 414, 432 P.2d 258; State v. Lattin, 78 N.M. 49, 428 P.2d 23; State v. Romero, 76 N.M. 449, 415 P.2d 837. Without the support of these requested findings of fact, appellant's attack on the district court's conclusion of law, that appellant knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily, while being advised by competent counsel, entered a plea of guilty, must fail. Appellant also claims reversible error in the district court's refusal of his requested findings of fact Nos. 1 and 2, to the effect that appellant was denied his right to counsel and was required to give evidence against himself, and appellant's requested conclusions of law Nos. 1 and 2, to the effect that appellant, as a result of the denial of his right to counsel, was denied his right to a fair and impartial trial and that he was denied his right to counsel to appellant's prejudice. Appellant testified that he was interrogated by Lt. Boyce; that he signed a statement; that at the time he was asked for the statement, he told Boyce he wanted to wait for his lawyer, but that Boyce told him "* * * if I [appellant] go messing around with lawyers all I would do was get myself tied up in trouble." Boyce testified that the *715 only statement made by appellant had to do with a burglary, not the armed robbery for which appellant was convicted. The defendant in State v. Archie, 78 N.M. 443, 432 P.2d 408, asserted that he did not have counsel when interrogated by and gave statements to the authorities. In that case we held that, absent a showing of prejudice, these defects were waived by a plea of guilty. See also, Christie v. Ninth Judicial District, 78 N.M. 469, 432 P.2d 825; State v. Robinson, 78 N.M. 420, 432 P.2d 264; State v. Gibby, supra. The transcript does not indicate in the instant case that appellant's statement was ever used against him. He argues that Boyce's advice to appellant not to go "messing around with lawyers" deprived appellant of the advice of his attorney and produced a plea of guilty. However, appellant admitted he was advised by his attorney that he did not have to plead guilty; that he could have a trial; that the judge was the only person who could determine whether appellant would go free or go to prison; and that he could, if convicted, receive a sentence of ten to fifty years in prison. Also, the question of whether appellant was led to plead guilty by Boyce's advice was a fact question to be decided by the trial court. When the other testimony of Boyce set out above is considered, it is clear that there is substantial evidence to support the determination of the facts made by the trial court. Therefore, appellant's requested findings of fact Nos. 1 and 2 and his requested conclusions of law Nos. 1 and 2 were properly refused by the district court, since all of appellant's contentions in this regard have to do with the period prior to appellant's knowing, intelligent and voluntary plea of guilty, and no prejudice has been shown. The district court's conclusion of law No. 3 to the effect that appellant's counsel effectively represented appellant, was proper in view of appellant's failure to successfully support his requested findings of fact. With regard to appellant's requested finding of fact No. 6, appellant presented no evidence at the hearing which could support a finding of fact that as a result of the robbery committed by appellant one Smith was convicted of aiding a felon to escape. Thus, the district court properly refused this finding of fact. Under points I, II and IV, appellant asserts that the trial court erred in refusing to find that appellant was illegally arrested; in refusing to conclude that appellant was denied his right to due process of law; in concluding that the entire proceedings were complete and proper; in refusing to find that law enforcement officers conducted an illegal search and seizure; in refusing to conclude that the illegal search and seizure deprived appellant of due process of law; in concluding that the proceedings were complete and proper; and in refusing to conclude that appellant was entrapped and forced by threats into committing a crime. A complaint of illegal arrest cannot be raised upon a motion under Rule 93. State v. Hudman, 78 N.M. 370, 431 P.2d 748; and see, State v. Ramirez, 78 N.M. 418, 432 P.2d 262; State v. Gibby, supra. In State v. Williams, 78 N.M. 211, 430 P.2d 105, where the defendant entered a voluntary plea of guilty, we held that his conviction and sentence were not vulnerable to attack under Rule 93 on the ground appellant was illegally arrested, and the illegality of the arrest, even if true, was waived by the guilty plea. See also, State v. Tipton, 78 N.M. 600, 435 P.2d 430; Christie v. Ninth Judicial District, supra. Thus, appellant is precluded from attacking his conviction on the grounds of illegal arrest. In State v. Knight, 78 N.M. 482, 432 P.2d 838, defendant contended that her automobile and the automobile of another were illegally searched at the time of her arrest. We held that, even if her contentions were true, there is no basis for relief because nothing taken in the searches was used as evidence against her. In the instant case, the record does not disclose that anything taken in any search was used against appellant. Thus, appellant could not have been prejudiced. See also, State *716 v. Elledge, 78 N.M. 157, 429 P.2d 355; compare, State v. Tipton, supra. A claim of entrapment does not state a basis for post-conviction relief. State v. Apodaca, 78 N.M. 412, 432 P.2d 256; Anderson v. United States, (9th Cir.1964), 338 F.2d 618; Moore v. United States, (5th Cir.1964), 334 F.2d 25; Ellison v. United States, (10th Cir.1960), 283 F.2d 489, cert. denied, 365 U.S. 885, 81 S. Ct. 1038, 6 L. Ed. 2d 196. Appellant's claim, that he was entrapped and threatened into committing a crime, will not be considered by us. The district court's conclusions of law which are subject to attack here are based upon findings of fact supported by substantial evidence. Finding no error, the district court's denial of appellant's motion is affirmed. It is so ordered. MOISE, J., and EDWARD E. TRIVIZ, D.J., concur.