Opinion ID: 891589
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the purpose of the expert's testimony

Text: {10} In Alberico, we stated that the proper initial inquiry for the admissibility of expert opinion testimony ... is [to determine] the purpose for which it is being offered. 116 N.M. at 172, 861 P.2d at 208. The purpose of the testimony guides our inquiry into whether the expert was qualified to give an opinion on the subject, as well as our determination of whether the testimony was relevant, probative, and not unfairly prejudicial. Thus, we begin our inquiry by determining what the State sought to prove with Detective Martinez's testimony. {11} In our review of the record, we discern two distinct purposes of Detective Martinez's testimony: (1) to prove that Defendant was a member of the Barrio Small Town (BST) criminal street gang and (2) to explain Defendant's motive for returning to the party and shooting at the house. Prior to Detective Martinez's testimony, evidence had been introduced that Defendant had a tattoo that identified him as a BST member. Detective Martinez corroborated this testimony when he testified that BST was a homegrown gang in Taos and that the letters BST identified BST gang members. He emphasized that tattoos are prevalent in gang society and that tattoos of gang signs, symbols, and abbreviations are identifiers of who is a member of a particular gang. Thus, Detective Martinez offered circumstantial evidence that Defendant was a member of BST. However, no direct evidence was presented at trial that Defendant was a member of BST or any other gang at the time of the shooting. {12} The other, more significant purpose of Detective Martinez's testimony was to refute Defendant's claim of self-defense by offering another explanation of Defendant's motive for shooting at the house. The expert's testimony was significant because Defendant's intent was the primary focus of the parties' dispute. Defendant admitted that he shot at the house with a gun that could have fired the fatal bullet. However, he asked the jury to find that he did so in self-defense, in response to being shot at first by unidentified assailants. In contrast with Detective Martinez's testimony, the State asked the jury to conclude that Defendant, an alleged gang member, returned to the party that night seeking revenge or retribution for being threatened, shot at, and otherwise disrespected. {13} Detective Martinez testified that respect is the most important value in gang culture. He testified that gang members gain respect through fear, intimidation, violence, and by controlling the drug trafficking trade. He also stated that gang members are governed by the code of the street and are motivated by retribution, an eye for an eye, with [n]o assault go[ing] unanswered. He stated that in his expert opinion, once a gang member has been disrespected, he or she must retaliate with retribution that ... is always done through violence. {14} Detective Martinez explained that gang members can be disrespected in a number of ways. For example, showing a gang-specific tattoo in public or to members of another gang would be disrespectful, as would mad-dogging, a form of confrontation where two individuals aggressively stare at one another. Spoken threats are another form of disrespect, as are threats to a person's life and the destruction of a person's property. Detective Martinez further explained that disrespecting a gang member in front of other people demands retribution, especially if the member is disrespected in front of members of his or her own gang. Additionally, Detective Martinez repeatedly referred to gangs as criminal, explaining that if somebody is making threats to the well-being of another or to their life, some course of action must be taken [by] the person who is being threatened, not only because he must protect himself from becoming a victim from the perpetrator, but also because other people know about this. And if you don't go out and take care of business, like he is supposed to be under this unwritten code that the criminal gang adheres to, then he shows weakness on his part. With these purposes for the expert's testimony in mind, we now turn to Defendant's arguments on appeal.