Court Opinion

ID: 9574172
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:02:58.682161+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:44:10.168595
License: Public Domain

FEDERICI, Justice, specially concurring. I concur with the result reached in the opinion. However, in order to emphasize the distinction between the rule applicable to equitable and legal issues and the right to a trial by jury of the legal issues only, I would respectfully point out that this Court has consistently held for decades that in suits involving equitable issues, there is no jury trial as a matter of right. The equitable issues are heard first by the court and if any legal issues remain they can be heard by a jury upon appropriate request. Martinez v. Mundy, 61 N.M. 87, 295 P.2d 209 (1956); Quintana v. Vigil, 46 N.M. 200, 125 P.2d 711 (1942); Young v. Vail, 19 N.M. 324, 222 P.2d 912 (1924); Pankey v. Ortiz, 26 N.M. 575, 195 P. 906 (1921). I cannot concur with the opinion insofar as it completely overrules Young. In Young, the Court held that a defendant in a foreclosure suit who voluntarily interposes a cross-complaint of a legal nature is not entitled to a jury trial of the issues raised thereby. I concur with the majority that this statement of the law in Young should be overruled; however, as to the remainder of the opinion in Young, I would overrule only to the extent that it is inconsistent with this opinion.