Court Opinion

ID: 9796491
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 03:58:29.77765+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:50:23.659422
License: Public Domain

SERNA, Justice (concurring in part and dissenting in part). {30} I respectfully dissent. Although I concur with the majority that “fundamental error may be corrected in a habeas proceeding even though the record was adequate to address the petitioner’s claim on direct appeal,” Maj. Op. ¶ 9, and that laches do not apply to habeas proceedings, Maj. Op. ¶ 15,1 cannot agree that Petitioner was not entitled to the self-defense instruction when that determination is based primarily on the recitation of facts contained in State v. Sutphin, 107 N.M. 126, 753 P.2d 1314 (1988). See Maj. Op. ¶¶ 21-23. Consequently, I would affirm the district court’s grant of Petitioner’s writ of habeas corpus. {31} The majority acknowledges that Petitioner’s jury instructions contained the same jury instruction errors that this Court recognized as fundamental error in State v. Benally, 2001-NMSC-033, 131 N.M. 258, 34 P.3d 1134. See Maj. Op. ¶¶ 5, 18. However, the majority denies Petitioner relief because “after looking at the individual facts and circumstances, [they] cannot conclude that Petitioner’s trial was infected with fundamental error.” Id. ¶ 21. However, for the purposes of this habeas corpus proceeding, this Court did not receive a complete record of the evidence presented at Petitioner’s trial. Instead the majority opinion, ¶ 2, relies on the facts as presented in Sutphin, a case in which we expressly “viewfed] the evidence in the light most favorable to the state, resolving all conflicts therein and indulging all permissible inferences therefrom in favor of the verdict.” 107 N.M. at 131, 753 P.2d at 1319. {32} Indeed, we often defer to the trial court’s findings because it hears the evidence presented by both parties in its fact-finding role. See State v. Attaway, 117 N.M. 141, 144, 870 P.2d 103, 1006 (1994). At trial where self-defense is involved in a criminal case and there is any evidence, although slight, to establish the same, it is not only proper for the court, but its duty as well, to instruct the jury fully and clearly on all phases of the law on the issue that are warranted by the evidence. State v. Heisler, 58 N.M. 446, 455, 272 P.2d 660, 666 (1954) (emphasis added). In the instant case, the trial court determined the self-defense instruction was appropriate, and without a complete record, I would not question this determination. The cases relied upon by the majority opinion, ¶¶ 19-20, are both distinguishable because those cases were on direct review and not on collateral review, giving the Court the benefit of a complete trial record. See State v. Barber, 2004-NMSC-019, ¶ 1, 135 N.M. 621, 92 P.3d 633; State v. Reed, 2005-NMSC-031, ¶ 1, 138 N.M. 365, 120 P.3d 447. {33} The majority also relies on statements contained in Petitioner’s brief-in-chief on direct appeal, pro se habeas petition, and amended petition to conclude that he does not deny hitting Mr. Franklin repeatedly. Maj. Op. ¶ 25. However, to scour these documents for only that evidence which supports the majority’s conclusion is akin to a review for sufficiency of the evidence, except that, in this case, the majority is substituting the fact-finder’s judgment for its own. See Sutphin, 107 N.M. at 131, 753 P.2d at 1319. Without a complete record, this Court should rely on the district court’s determination that a self-defense instruction was appropriate. {34} In conclusion, I would not only “applaud” the district court for instructing the jury on self-defense; I would affirm its determination. Having found enough evidence to provide a self-defense instruction, the district court was obligated to properly instruct the jury on all the elements of self-defense and first-degree murder. See State v. Osborne, 111 N.M. 654, 662, 808 P.2d 624, 632 (1991). This Court has determined these errors constitute fundamental error, and this entitles Petitioner to habeas relief. Therefore, I respectfully dissent.