Opinion ID: 556629
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The defendant helped, encouraged or caused the crime to be committed.

Text: 27 R.Vol. II at 184. 28 The jury subsequently found Tapia guilty of murder in the second degree with a special finding stating, We the jury found the defendant guilty of murder in the second degree within the context of Instruction # 15. R.Vol. II at 184. 29 Tapia argues that the submission of Instruction No. 15 to the jury violated his due process right to a fair trial in two ways: (1) he lacked notice of the accessory charge because the second information did not include that charge; and, (2) there was insufficient evidence to establish the requisite accessory element of community of purpose. 8 We disagree. Notice 30 The sufficiency of an indictment or information is primarily a question of state law. Franklin v. White, 803 F.2d 416, 418 (8th Cir.1986) (quoting Goodloe v. Parratt, 605 F.2d 1041, 1045 n. 12 (8th Cir.1979)), cert. denied, 481 U.S. 1020, 107 S.Ct. 1904, 95 L.Ed.2d 510 (1987). Under New Mexico law, Tapia had sufficient notice to be convicted on the accessory theory, even though the information did not charge him as an accessory. 31 New Mexico, like many other states, long ago abolished the distinction between conviction as a principal and an accessory, so that the charge as principal includes a corresponding accessory charge. 9 State v. Wall, 94 N.M. 169, 171, 608 P.2d 145, 147 (1980); State v. Nance, 77 N.M. 39, 43-44, 419 P.2d 242, 246-47 (1966); State v. Ochoa, 41 N.M. 589, 72 P.2d 609 (1937). Given the clarity of the New Mexico case law on this issue, [the defendant] was on notice that he could be charged as a principal and convicted as an accessory or vice-a-versa. State v. Wall, 94 N.M. at 171-72, 608 P.2d at 147-48; State v. Nance, 77 N.M. at 44, 419 P.2d at 247 (holding that everyone concerned with the offense may be indicted as a principal by reading Sec. 30-1-13 as though the words as an accomplice were omitted); State v. Roque, 91 N.M. 7, 8-9, 569 P.2d 417, 418-19 (Ct.App.) (an indictment need only allege the offense, not necessarily charge defendant as accessory), cert. denied, 91 N.M. 4, 569 P.2d 414 (1977); see State v. McCall, 101 N.M. 616, 626, 686 P.2d 958, 968 (Ct.App.1983) (conviction of fraud on an accessory theory would not have been improper). 32 Furthermore, we agree with the magistrate and the district court that trial counsel's failure to argue lack of notice or to request a continuance to meet the allegedly new theory of liability at the time of the instruction's submission suggests that he was not surprised by the instruction nor did he consider his defense to be substantially disadvantaged by its submission. R.Vol. I, Doc. 38, at 5. 10 33 Tapia also argues that the fact that the district attorney only charged him as a principal in the second indictment leads to a reasonable inference that there was no probable cause to believe that he had committed the crime as an accessory. Tapia asserts that he relied on this disavowal of accomplice liability as he prepared for trial. However, as discussed above, the prosecution did not disavow Tapia's involvement as an accomplice. Rather, the charge as principal included the accomplice charge. 34 We, therefore, find that Tapia had sufficient notice of the accessory charge when charged as a principal. Sufficiency of the evidence 35 Tapia contends that even if he had notice, the evidence on community of purpose necessary to convict him on accessory liability was so deficient as to amount to a constitutional violation. 11 He claims that the chief evidence supporting the accessory verdict was Eddie Visarraga's taped statement to Sergeant Flores, played in court to impeach Visarraga's trial testimony. In the tape, Visarraga stated that both Jimmy and Eddie Tapia went outside with Stevers. He stated that he heard the three scuffling and then Stevers came back into the house, fatally wounded. The Tapias ran off. Tapia argues that Visarraga's testimony should be disregarded as inherently incredible. 12 He contends that without this testimony, there was insufficient evidence to convict him. We disagree. 36 Sufficiency of the evidence for constitutional purposes is ultimately a question of law. Beachum v. Tansy, 903 F.2d 1321, 1325 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 269, 112 L.Ed.2d 225 (1990); Smith v. Atkins, 678 F.2d 883, 885 (10th Cir.1982). As such, we review a habeas challenge of sufficiency to determine whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Cordoba v. Hanrahan, 910 F.2d 691, 694 (10th Cir.) (quoting Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560, reh'g denied, 444 U.S. 890, 100 S.Ct. 195, 62 L.Ed.2d 126 (1979)) (emphasis in original), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 585, 112 L.Ed.2d 590 (1990); Beachum v. Tansy, 903 F.2d at 1332. However, we do not sit as a new trier of fact. We presume that the jury's findings in evaluating the credibility of each witness are correct. Case v. Mondragon, 887 F.2d 1388, 1393 (10th Cir.1989), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 1490, 108 L.Ed.2d 626 (1990). We may disregard testimony on review only if we find that the witness is inherently incredible. Wilcox v. Ford, 813 F.2d 1140, 1146 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 925, 108 S.Ct. 287, 98 L.Ed.2d 247 (1987). 37 Testimony, to be considered incredible, must be unbelievable on its face, i.e., testimony as to facts that [the witness] physically could not have possibly observed or events that could not have occurred under the laws of nature. United States v. Garner, 581 F.2d 481, 485 (5th Cir.1978); United States v. Rivera, 775 F.2d 1559, 1561 (11th Cir.1985), cert. denied, 475 U.S. 1051, 106 S.Ct. 1275, 89 L.Ed.2d 582 (1986); Wilcox v. Ford, 813 F.2d at 1146 (the testimony must be so at odds with ordinary common sense or physically impossible under the laws of nature that no reasonable person would believe it beyond a reasonable doubt). Confused, self-contradicting testimony by a drug addict does not make the witness's testimony inherently incredible. Wilcox v. Ford, 813 F.2d at 1146; United States v. Garner, 581 F.2d at 485; see also United States v. Martinez, 877 F.2d 1480, 1482 (10th Cir.1989) (impeachment of witness as a drug addict or as possessing emotional problems is a question of credibility for the jury). Nor does the fact that there are several conflicting versions regarding the events of the evening of September 7 affect our determination of credibility as a matter of law. Such inconsistencies are matters within the province of the jury. United States v. Espinosa, 771 F.2d 1382, 1391 (10th Cir.1985). 38 It is undisputed that Visarraga was present at Stevers's house the night of the murder. He could easily have heard the alleged scuffling between Stevers, Jimmy and Eddie outside before Stevers reentered the house, fatally wounded. Therefore, his testimony was not inherently incredible and the jury could have rationally relied on this evidence that both Eddie and Jimmy Tapia were involved in stabbing Stevers. 39 Relying on Visarraga's testimony, the jury could have reasonably believed that Eddie killed Stevers. [C]ommunity of purpose may be shown by evidence of ... words ... or any means sufficient to incite, encourage, or instigate commission of the offense. State v. Luna, 92 N.M. 680, 683, 594 P.2d 340, 343 (Ct.App.1979). Tapia's exclamation of dejame matarlo, as testified to by de la Rosa, showed that he had the intent to kill Stevers and that he encouraged such action or sought to do it himself. Such involvement is sufficient to show community of purpose and sustain a conviction of aiding and abetting. 13 40 Eddie Visarraga heard the scuffling between Eddie, Jimmy and Stevers and de la Rosa heard Jimmy Tapia say dejame matarlo. Together, these two witnesses gave consistent, albeit circumstantial, evidence that Tapia aided and abetted in the murder of Stevers. Circumstantial evidence is sufficient to convict. United States v. Hooks, 780 F.2d 1526, 1529 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 475 U.S. 1128, 106 S.Ct. 1657, 90 L.Ed.2d 199 (1986). Thus, viewing all the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, there was sufficient evidence with respect to the conviction of aiding and abetting to satisfy constitutional requirements. 41 Since we find that Tapia had adequate notice of accessory liability and that there was sufficient evidence to convict on that charge, the jury instruction on aiding and abetting was not constitutionally defective.