Martinez v. People, No. 17298

Docket NºNo. 17298
Citation267 P.2d 654, 129 Colo. 94
Case DateFebruary 23, 1954
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado

Page 654

267 P.2d 654
129 Colo. 94
MARTINEZ et al.
v.
PEOPLE.
No. 17298.
Supreme Court of Colorado, En Banc.
Feb. 23, 1954.

Robert Sunshine, H. D. Reed, Denver, for plaintiffs in error.

Page 655

Duke W. Dunbar, Atty. Gen., Frank A. Wachob, Deputy Atty. Gen., Norman H. Comstock, Asst. Atty. Gen., for defendant in error.

[129 Colo. 95] MOORE, Justice.

In this opinion we will refer to plaintiffs in error as defendnats or by name. An information comprising two counts was filed in the district court against them, in which it was charged that they committed the crime of burglary, and that they entered into a conspiracy to commit that offense. On arraignment they entered pleas of not guilty. Upon the trial, no witnesses were called on behalf of defendants. The court directed a verdict of not guilty upon the burglary count and submitted the case to the jury upon the conspiracy count. The jury returned a single verdict by which defendants were found guilty. Judgment was entered and sentence to the reformatory was imposed upon each defendant. Seeking a reversal of that judgment they bring the case to this court by writ of error.

The pertinent facts are as follows: At about fifteen minutes past midnight June 9, 1953, a police officer went to a liquor store at 2621 West Colfax avenue in Denver. He checked the rear of the building, where he was joined by another officer. They went around to the side of the building where they saw two persons. One of the persons, Ernest Martinez, was using a bar to break a hole through the brick wall into the liquor store, and the other, subsequently identified as Gilbert Martinez, was four or five feet distant from the one working on the wall and was facing toward the street, acting as a lookout. When the officers were discovered Gilbert ran, and although one of the officers gave chase he evaded capture by hiding in a creek; however in making his escape he cut his hand. He returned to his home later in the morning where he was arrested; his clothes were wet from his stay in the creek. The officers learned of his stay in the water and the cut hand from statements made by him following his arrest. Ernest was arrested [129 Colo. 96] on the spot. The hole which was being made through the wall was not completed when the unexpected appearance of the officers stopped the activity in which defendants were unquestionably engaged. In the presence of each other, following their arrest, defendants admitted that they planned to break into the store to get a 'couple of bottles' of liquor.

Five assignments of error are urged by defendants as grounds for reversal, as follows:

1. The prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to establish the crime of conspiracy.

2. The court erred in admitting in evidence the confessions of defendants made in the presence of each other, 'without...

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13 practice notes
  • State v. Lucas, No. A--86
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court (New Jersey)
    • June 1, 1959
    ...United States, 124 F.2d 58 (6 Cir., 1941), reversed on other grounds, 318 U.S. 350, 63 S.Ct. 599, 87 L.Ed. 829 (1943); Martinez v. People, 129 Colo. 94, Page 53 267 P.2d 654 (Colo.Sup.Ct.1954); State v. Cardwell, 90 Kan. 606, 135 P. 597, L.R.A.1916B, 745 (Sup.Ct.1913). Before resolving the ......
  • People v. Gonzales, No. 25794
    • United States
    • Colorado Supreme Court of Colorado
    • August 6, 1974
    ...264 (1969); Owen v. People, 155 Colo. 19, 392 P.2d 163 (1964); Meredith v. People, 152 Colo. 69, 380 P.2d 227 (1963); Martinez v. People, 129 Colo. 94, 267 P.2d 654 (1954); and Downey v. People, 121 Colo. 307, 215 P.2d 892 GROVES, J., joins in Point II of this dissent. [186 Colo. 61] III. J......
  • State v. Paris, No. 7828
    • United States
    • New Mexico Supreme Court of New Mexico
    • March 7, 1966
    ...provided it is sufficiently corroborated. See, e.g., People v. McMonigle, 1947, 29 Cal.2d 730, 177 P.2d 745; Martinez v. People, 1954, 129 Colo. 94, 267 P.2d 654; State v. Doucette, 1959, 147 Conn. 95, 157 A.2d 487; Nelson v. State, 1954, 11 Terry 96, 50 Del. 96, 123 A.2d 859; State v. Yosh......
  • Romero v. People, No. 23008
    • United States
    • Colorado Supreme Court of Colorado
    • November 3, 1969
    ...and, there being no [170 Colo. 252] showing of prejudice to the defendant, we cannot disturb the trial court's ruling. Martinez v. People, 129 Colo. 94, 267 P.2d 654; Porter v. People, 31 Colo. 508, 74 P. 879; Imperial Meat Co. v. United States, 316 F.2d 435, cert. denied 375 U.S. 820, 84 S......
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13 cases
  • State v. Lucas, No. A--86
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court (New Jersey)
    • June 1, 1959
    ...United States, 124 F.2d 58 (6 Cir., 1941), reversed on other grounds, 318 U.S. 350, 63 S.Ct. 599, 87 L.Ed. 829 (1943); Martinez v. People, 129 Colo. 94, Page 53 267 P.2d 654 (Colo.Sup.Ct.1954); State v. Cardwell, 90 Kan. 606, 135 P. 597, L.R.A.1916B, 745 (Sup.Ct.1913). Before resolving the ......
  • People v. Gonzales, No. 25794
    • United States
    • Colorado Supreme Court of Colorado
    • August 6, 1974
    ...264 (1969); Owen v. People, 155 Colo. 19, 392 P.2d 163 (1964); Meredith v. People, 152 Colo. 69, 380 P.2d 227 (1963); Martinez v. People, 129 Colo. 94, 267 P.2d 654 (1954); and Downey v. People, 121 Colo. 307, 215 P.2d 892 GROVES, J., joins in Point II of this dissent. [186 Colo. 61] III. J......
  • State v. Paris, No. 7828
    • United States
    • New Mexico Supreme Court of New Mexico
    • March 7, 1966
    ...provided it is sufficiently corroborated. See, e.g., People v. McMonigle, 1947, 29 Cal.2d 730, 177 P.2d 745; Martinez v. People, 1954, 129 Colo. 94, 267 P.2d 654; State v. Doucette, 1959, 147 Conn. 95, 157 A.2d 487; Nelson v. State, 1954, 11 Terry 96, 50 Del. 96, 123 A.2d 859; State v. Yosh......
  • Romero v. People, No. 23008
    • United States
    • Colorado Supreme Court of Colorado
    • November 3, 1969
    ...and, there being no [170 Colo. 252] showing of prejudice to the defendant, we cannot disturb the trial court's ruling. Martinez v. People, 129 Colo. 94, 267 P.2d 654; Porter v. People, 31 Colo. 508, 74 P. 879; Imperial Meat Co. v. United States, 316 F.2d 435, cert. denied 375 U.S. 820, 84 S......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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