Opinion ID: 2519777
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Statement of Defendant.

Text: {31} While the four defendants were in custody in Kansas, jail officials found a message, hand written in Spanish, concealed in a pair of shoes belonging to co-defendant Martinez-Silva. The note was signed by Defendant. A handwriting examiner testified that the note had been written by Defendant, and Defendant acknowledged in his testimony that he had written the note. The note advised the others as follows (the comments in brackets were added by the certified judicial interpreter) (emphasis omitted): whenever you want to write to Mexico[,] write to Carmen and there [that way] you send a letter to your motherhave Carmen send itto Mexico for you. Deny everything[,] I also denied everything[.] They are trying to tell us lies[,] that they have photos of us in Albuquerquejust say that you were never there. Just for about 3 hours in Solei Siry Yuta [Salt Lake City, Utah] and we worked in Denver cleaning homes and gardens[,] to see what happens[.] Throw this paper when [after] you read it. ATT. [Spanish abbreviation for Atentatmente = Yours truly] Valentin Qz VR [sic] [in smaller letters] [....] what they found is the blood of their shirts[.] I think we are going to be inside a few years since we all said different things[,] but all 4 of us are equally guilty[,] no one more and no one less. I'll be seeing you. {32} Defendant filed a pretrial motion to suppress the note on the basis that, as a Mexican national, he should have been advised upon his arrest that he could confer with the Mexican consul as provided by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, April 24, 1963, 21 U.S.T. 77, 596 U.N.T.S. 216 (VCCR). In denying the motion, the trial court assumed for the sake of argument that the VCCR applied and also that it had not been complied with but held that the appropriate remedy would not be to suppress evidence. An appellate court reviews rulings on a motion to suppress to determine whether the law was correctly applied to the facts, reviewing them in the light most favorable to the prevailing party and drawing all reasonable inferences to support the decision below. State v. Salgado, 1999-NMSC-008, ¶ 16, 126 N.M. 691, 974 P.2d 661. {33} This Court has recently resolved the question of claims raised under the VCCR contrary to Defendant's position. State v. Martinez-Rodriguez, 2001-NMSC-029, ¶¶ 15-19, 131 N.M. 47, 33 P.3d 267, cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 122 S.Ct. 1317, 152 L.Ed.2d 225 (2002). In this case, before Defendant gave the challenged statement, he had been advised of his Miranda rights and signed a waiver of those rights. We conclude that Defendant's statement was admissible under Rule 11-801(D)(2)(a) as an admission by a party-opponent. We hold that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying Defendant's motion to suppress.