Opinion ID: 2621973
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: there was insufficient evidence to support the tampering conviction

Text: {17} The State also challenges the Court of Appeals' holding that there was insufficient evidence to support Defendant's conviction for tampering with evidence, contrary to NMSA 1978, Section 30-22-5(A) (1963, prior to amendments through 2003). The test for sufficiency of the evidence is whether substantial evidence of either a direct or circumstantial nature exists to support a verdict of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt with respect to every element essential to a conviction. State v. Duran, 2006-NMSC-035, ¶ 5, 140 N.M. 94, 140 P.3d 515 (quoted authority omitted). The State alleges that Defendant tampered with evidence because (1) Defendant had a gun at the scene of the crime; (2) a gun was used to murder Hernandez; (3) the murder weapon was removed from the scene; and (4) the murder weapon was never recovered. The jury was instructed that, to prove Defendant guilty of tampering with evidence, the State had to show that he hid a handgun and that he did so intend[ing] to prevent the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of himself. See UJI 14-2241 NMRA; accord § 30-22-5(A). {18} Tampering with evidence is a specific intent crime, requiring sufficient evidence from which the jury can infer that the defendant acted with an intent to prevent apprehension, prosecution or conviction of any person or to throw suspicion of the commission of a crime upon another. Section 30-22-5(A); accord Duran, 2006-NMSC-035, ¶ 14, 140 N.M. 94, 140 P.3d 515. As we have previously explained, [i]ntent is subjective and is almost always inferred from other facts in the case, as it is rarely established by direct evidence. State v. Motes, 118 N.M. 727, 729, 885 P.2d 648, 650 (1994) (quoted authority omitted). Thus, when direct evidence of an intent to disrupt the investigation is lacking, it is often inferred from an overt act of the defendant. Duran, 2006-NMSC-035, ¶ 14, 140 N.M. 94, 140 P.3d 515; see also State v. Roybal, 115 N.M. 27, 33-34, 846 P.2d 333, 339-40 (Ct.App.1992). For example, in a case involving death by gunshot to the head, evidence that the defendant gave a gun to his brother shortly after the killing, instructed his brother to hold it, and then lied to the police about his knowledge of the gun's whereabouts was sufficient evidence of an overt act from which the jury could infer his intent to tamper with evidence. State v. Arellano, 91 N.M. 195, 197, 572 P.2d 223, 225 (Ct.App.1977). However, absent both direct evidence of a defendant's specific intent to tamper and evidence of an overt act from which the jury may infer such intent, the evidence cannot support a tampering conviction. Duran, 2006-NMSC-035, ¶ 15, 140 N.M. 94, 140 P.3d 515. {19} Such is the case here. The State alleges that Defendant's possession of a gun and the police's inability to find the gun used in the murder constitutes sufficient evidence of Defendant's tampering. However, the State offered no direct evidence to show that Defendant intended to disrupt the police investigation, nor did it provide any evidence, circumstantial or otherwise, of an overt act on Defendant's part from which the jury could infer such intent. Instead, the State effectively asked the jury to speculate that an overt act of ... hiding [the murder weapon] had taken place, based solely on the fact that such evidence was never found. Id. Therefore, the State failed to meet its burden and the evidence is insufficient to support Defendant's conviction for tampering with evidence. {20} The State alternatively argues that Defendant's conviction should stand based on a theory of accessory liability. The jury was instructed that it could find Defendant guilty of [tampering with evidence] even though he himself did not do the acts constituting the crime, if ... [t]he defendant intended that the crime be committed; ... [t]he crime was committed; [and] ... [t]he defendant helped, encouraged or caused the crime to be committed. See UJI 14-2822 NMRA; accord NMSA 1978, § 30-1-13 (1972). To convict Defendant as an accessory, the State still had to prove that someone hid the gun intending to disrupt the investigation and that Defendant helped, encouraged, or caused that to occur. See State v. Johnson, 2004-NMSC-029, ¶¶ 52, 54, 136 N.M. 348, 98 P.3d 998. However, as with Defendant, the record lacks sufficient evidence to establish that someone else acted with such intent, let alone evidence to show that Defendant helped, encouraged, or caused them to so act. Because the State did not provide such evidence, Defendant could not have been found guilty as an accessory to tampering as a matter of law. {21} Thus, we agree with the Court of Appeals that there was insufficient evidence to support the tampering conviction.