Court Opinion

ID: 9604631
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:24:34.040577+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:23.231248
License: Public Domain

STOWERS, Justice, dissenting. I dissent. I also join in the dissent filed by Chief Justice Scarborough. The majority in this case indicate that the issue is whether entrapment has been established. They further indicate in reaching this conclusion that they are relying on the case of State v. Fiechter, 89 N.M. 74, 547 P.2d 557 (1976). The Fiechter case specifically adopted and approved the subjective standard and rejected other concepts previously adopted in other cases. See State v. Jackson, 88 N.M. 98, 101, 537 P.2d 706, 709 (Ct.App.1975). A review of the facts in this case indicate that the defendant was seeking marijuana, was willing to associate with Granger the informant, went along with him in the activities in the course of the evening, and eventually, in fact, did sell the drug in question for which he was convicted. The holding of the Fiechtsr case is clear and specific, and unless it is overruled, continues to be the appropriate law on entrapment. I think that the Fiechter case is good law and that it was appropriately applied in this case. Further, I think it appears from the facts in the case that there was sufficient evidence to establish that the defendant intended to commit the offense. See State v. Hutchinson, 99 N.M. 616, 624, 661 P.2d 1315, 1323 (1983). As we have said many times, evidence is to be viewed in the light most favorable to the prevailing party, and all conflicts are resolved and all permissible inferences are indulged in favor of the jury’s verdict. See State v. Vigil, 103 N.M. 643, 647, 711 P.2d 920, 924 (Ct.App.1985), cert. denied, 103 N.M. 740, 713 P.2d 556 (1986). For these reasons, I believe that the decision of the court of appeals appropriately dealt with this issue and should be affirmed. Therefore, I dissent from the opinion filed herein.