Court Opinion

ID: 9551143
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 18:48:22.727243+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:23:08.721973
License: Public Domain

LOPEZ, Judge (dissenting). Defendant was tried and convicted by a jury for the sale of a depressant drug contrary to § 54-6-38(B), N.M.S.A. 1953 (Repl. Vol. 8, pt. 2, Supp. 1971). He appeals from his conviction and sentence. I would affirm. The defendant asserts three points for reversal: (1) that the trial court committed error in failing to dismiss the case with prejudice for failure to commence the trial thereof within ninety days from the defendant’s arrest and the failure to bring this case to trial within six months of the defendant’s arrest; (2) that the trial court committed reversible error in admitting testimony as to the defendant’s reason for committing the crime of unlawfully selling a depressant drug; (3) that the trial court committed reversible error in failing to grant the defendant’s motion for a mistrial based upon the state’s calling its rebuttal witnesses. (1) The trial court did not err in failing to dismiss this case with prejudice for failure to commence the trial thereof within ninety days from the defendant’s arrest and failure to bring this case to trial within six months of defendant’s arrest. The defendant was arrested on August 11, 1971 and an information was filed in the district court on September 9, 1971. Jury trial was commenced on February 16, 1972. The defendant cites § 41-11-4.1, N.M.S. A. 1953 (Repl. Vol. 6, Supp. 1971), which reads as follows: “41-11-4.1. Commencement of trials —Unnecessary delay — Time limit in felony cases. — All persons charged with the commission of a crime shall be brought to trial without unnecessary delay. Whenever the crime charged is a felony, the district court shall fix a date for commencement of the trial, which date shall be within ninety [90] days from the time of the person’s arrest, and the' trial shall begin on that date unless postponed by the court from time to time for good cause shown. * * * ” Defendant contends his case should have been dismissed by the trial court because no trial date was set within ninety days after the defendant’s arrest and the defendant was not brought to trial within six months after the arrest. Defendant contends that there is a conflict between § 41-11-4.1, supra, and Rule 95 which is § 21-1-1(95), N.M.S.A. 1953 (Repl. Vol. 4, Supp. 1971). Rule 95 was adopted on February 18, 1971 by the Supreme Court and took effect on July 1, 1971. Our Supreme Court in State v. Stanley, 83 N.M. 626, 495 P.2d 1073 (1972) and this appeals court in State v. Seaton, 84 N.M. 582, 505 P.2d 1258 (Ct.App. 1973) and State v. Hamilton, (Ct.App.) No. 1018, decided January 12, 1973 have ruled that the six months limitation commences to run from the date of the filing of the information of a criminal offense in the district court and not from the date of the defendant’s arrest. Therefore, the trial court was correct in denying the defendant’s motion to dismiss the case. (2) The trial court did not err in admitting testimony as to the defendant’s reason for committing the crime of unlawfully selling a depressant drug. The defendant frames his second point for reversal as if the trial court had allowed testimony to go to the jury as to a prior conviction of the defendant, but this is not correct. The transcript reveals that the state’s witness was allowed to testify to the following colloquy which took place between the assistant district attorney and the state witness, Mr. King: “MR. BRYAN: Mr. King, would you tell us what Armando Vega said to you? “A Yes, sir. “Q On the night of August 3rd. “A On August the 3rd? Yes, Sir. Mr. Vega stated that he was priorily involved in a drug arrest and that he was very hot; that the police here were on to him and that he wanted to get rid of all the pills except for maybe a personal stash. In other words, he wanted to get rid of everything so he didn’t have any large quantities in his possession.” The witness did not testify that the defendant was convicted of a prior crime. He only testified concerning the circumstances and the reason the defendant gave to the witness for getting rid of the drugs he had at the time. The testimony of the witness had reference to the crime for which the defendant was being tried. The testimony further established the circumstances leading to the transaction of the sale of the drug by the defendant to the witness. The testimony of the state witness merely threw light upon, the guilt of the defendant. State v. Peke, 70 N.M. 108, 371 P.2d 226 (1962). The evidence was competent, relevant, and material and it was admitted properly by the court to prove the crime for which the defendant was being tried. This evidence was admissible pursuant to the rule announced by the court in State v. Borrego, 52 N.M. 202, 195 P.2d 622 (1948). In State v. Borrego, supra, the court held that if evidence tends to prove the person on trial guilty of some other crime, but if the evidence is competent, relevant and material, it should not be excluded. That is what happened in this case. Woodland v. United States, 347 F.2d 956 (10th Cir. 1965); Morgan v. United States, 355 F.2d 43 (10th Cir. 1966). The transcript reveals that the defendant also testified regarding prior drug offenses. Therefore, the testimony of the state could not have resulted in ally prejudice. State v. Coyle, 39 N.M. 151, 42 P.2d 770 (1935); State v. Vasquez, 83 N.M. 388, 492 P.2d 1005 (Ct.App. 1971); State v. Carlton, 82 N.M. 537, 484 P.2d 757 (Ct.App. 1971). (3) The trial court properly denied the defendant’s motion for mistrial based upon the state’s calling rebuttal witnesses. The defendant contends that the state called six rebuttal witnesses who were friends of the defendant to testify and that the reason and motive of the state was to create prejudice on the jury against the defendant. The transcript reveals that only three of the rebuttal witnesses actually testified. One rebuttal witness refused to testify on grounds of possible self-incrimination. The defendant knew the rebuttal witnesses. He cannot claim surprise nor can he claim that he did not anticipate their presence; he cannot claim lack of opportunity to have talked to these witnesses. The defendant has failed to show any prejudice and abuse of discretion of the trial court in denying his motion for mistrial. The motion for mistrial is addressed to the sound discretion of the trial court and its ruling will not be reversed unless there is an abuse of discretion. State v. Guy, 82 N.M. 483, 483 P.2d 1323 (Ct.App. 1971); State v. Maes, 81 N.M. 550, 469 P.2d 529 (Ct.App. 1970). The court in the Maes case stated: “The trial court has the duty of seeing, that there is a fair and impartial jury. In doing so it must exercise discretion. The trial court’s decision will not be disturbed unless there is manifest error or a clear abuse of discretion. State v. Verdugo, 78 N.M. 762, 438 P.2d 172 (Ct.App. 1968).” The defendant claims that the court committed error on an instruction as to the rebuttal testimony. Defendant failed to tender his own instruction and thus waived any alleged error on appeal. State v. Lopez, 79 N.M. 282, 442 P.2d 594 (1968); State v. Hatley, 72 N.M. 280, 383 P.2d 247 (1963). I would affirm the judgment and sentence of the lower court and, therefore, dissent from the majority opinion.