Opinion ID: 2599848
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Error Occurred Because One of the Alternatives Was Legally Inadequate

Text: {17} Campos asserts that even if aggravated burglary was a valid predicate in this case, his felony-murder conviction must be vacated because the aggravated-battery predicate was clearly not valid. According to the State, since substantial evidence supports the valid predicate felony of aggravated burglary, no error occurred and we should uphold Campos's conviction of felony murder. See State v. Salazar, 1997-NMSC-044, ¶ 32, 123 N.M. 778, 945 P.2d 996. Error occurred at Campos's trial because one of the alternative bases for his conviction was legally inadequate. See State v. Olguin, 120 N.M. 740, 741, 906 P.2d 731, 732 (1995). Had Campos preserved this issue and raised it on direct appeal, we would undoubtedly have vacated his conviction and remanded for a new trial. However, as noted, our review here is for fundamental error. We recognized in State v. Cunningham that not affording more scrutiny for fundamental error would eliminate the preservation of error requirement of our appellate jurisprudence. It would also compromise the intent embodied in Rule 12-216, which makes fundamental error an exception to the general rule requiring preservation of error. 2000-NMSC-009, ¶ 18, 128 N.M. 711, 998 P.2d 176.