Opinion ID: 1201634
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Competency to Testify

Text: The trial judge found that the two boys were competent to testify after a short hearing out of the presence of the jury. The trial court has the discretion to determine the competency of witnesses. See State v. Manlove, 79 N.M. 189, 193, 441 P.2d 229, 233 (Ct. App.) (setting out guidelines for determining competency), cert. denied, 79 N.M. 159, 441 P.2d 57 (1968). We will not reverse a trial court's determination as to the competency of witnesses unless it clearly abused its discretion. State v. Macias, 110 N.M. 246, 249, 794 P.2d 389, 392 (Ct.App.), cert. denied, 110 N.M. 183, 793 P.2d 865 (1990). The elements in a trial court's determination of competency are the extent of the child's abilities for observation, recollection and communication, and also the child's appreciation or consciousness of a duty to speak the truth. Manlove, 79 N.M. at 192, 441 P.2d at 232. Fairweather does not contest the boys' ability to observe, remember, or communicate; he only attacks their capacity for truthfulness. Fairweather seems to argue that because the boys did not appreciate that failing to tell the truth in court meant going to jail, they did not know the difference between telling the truth and lying. A child witness, or any competent witness for that matter, need not know the consequences of perjurious testimony, or even what the term perjury means; he or she need only know that lying is wrong. Both of the boys indicated that they were aware that they would be subject to some sort of punishment if they lied. Even though there were inconsistencies in one of the boys' testimony, we do not believe that the trial judge abused his discretion in finding that the boys were conscious of their duty to tell the truth.