Opinion ID: 1201716
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Fundamental and Plain Error

Text: Even if the defendant did not raise proper objections at trial, he may be entitled to relief if the errors of which he complains on appeal constituted plain error, Rule 11-103(D), or fundamental error, SCRA 1986, 12-216(B)(2). In either case, we must be convinced that admission of the testimony constituted an injustice that creates grave doubts concerning the validity of the verdict. State v. Barraza, 110 N.M. 45, 49, 791 P.2d 799, 803 (Ct.App.), cert. denied, 109 N.M. 704, 789 P.2d 1271 (1990). The rule of fundamental error applies only if there has been a miscarriage of justice, if the question of guilt is so doubtful that it would shock the conscience to permit the conviction to stand, or if substantial justice has not been done. State v. Orosco, 113 N.M. 780, 784, 833 P.2d 1146, 1150 (1992). The doctrine of fundamental error is to be applied only under exceptional circumstances and solely to prevent a miscarriage of justice. State v. Clark, 108 N.M. 288, 297, 772 P.2d 322, 331, cert. denied, 493 U.S. 923, 110 S.Ct. 291, 107 L.Ed.2d 271 (1989). The doctrine of fundamental error is to be resorted to in criminal cases only for the protection of those whose innocence appears indisputably, or open to such question that it would shock the conscience to permit the conviction to stand. State v. Rodriguez, 81 N.M. 503, 505, 469 P.2d 148, 150 (1970). The predicate for review on the basis of plain error is less stringent than for fundamental error. Unlike the situation in the case of fundamental error, to find plain error we need not determine that there has been a miscarriage of justice or a conviction in which the defendant's guilt is so doubtful that it would shock the conscience of the court to allow it to stand. Plain error, however, applies only to evidentiary matters. To establish plain error, the error complained of must have affected substantial rights although [the plain errors] were not brought to the attention of the judge. SCRA 1986, 11-103(D). In State v. Hennessy, 114 N.M. 283, 837 P.2d 1366 (Ct.App.), cert. denied, 114 N.M. 82, 835 P.2d 80 (1992), the Court of Appeals recently commented that the supreme court has taken the position that plain error applies only to errors in evidentiary rulings of the trial court. See [State v.] Isiah, 109 N.M. [21] at 23, 781 P.2d [293] at 295 n. 1 [(1989)], see also State v. Wall, 94 N.M. 169, 171, 608 P.2d 145, 147 (1980). We are concerned with this interpretation of the plain error rule because we believe that the very point of the rule is to permit review of grave errors in the admission of evidence which have not been the subject of a ruling by the trial court because no objection was made at trial. Id., 114 N.M. at 286-87, 837 P.2d at 1369-70 (emphasis in original). The Court in Hennessy was correct in its analysis of the purpose of the plain error doctrine in Rule 103(D), but its interpretation of this Court's position that plain error applies only to errors in evidentiary rulings is too restrictive. Perhaps our use of the term evidentiary rulings instead of evidentiary matters, however, was imprecise. See State v. Isiah, 109 N.M. 21, 23 n. 1, 781 P.2d 293, 295 n. 1 (1989). To the extent that we have stated or intimated that the plain error rule applies only to errors in evidentiary rulings, as opposed to evidentiary matters in general, we expressly overrule that holding and disabuse the bar of that interpretation. We conclude that the admission of Dr. Lenssen's testimony constituted plain error.