Opinion ID: 1201634
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Failure to Instruct on the Element of Unlawfulness

Text: Finally, Fairweather argues that the trial court failed to instruct the jury on an essential element of the crimes charged  unlawfulness. He claims that this failure to instruct on an essential element constitutes fundamental error pursuant to State v. Osborne, 111 N.M. 654, 663, 808 P.2d 624, 633 (1991). Fairweather raises this issue, however, for the first time in his reply brief. We will not address this issue because it is raised for the first time in the reply brief. Hale v. Basin Motor Co., 110 N.M. 314, 321, 795 P.2d 1006, 1013 (1990); SCRA 1986, 12-213(C) (Cum. Supp. 1993). In light of our reversal on other grounds, however, we encourage the trial court to instruct the jury on all of the elements of the crimes charged if Fairweather is tried again.