State v. Selgado

Decision Date26 June 1967
Docket NumberNo. 8219,8219
Citation78 N.M. 165,429 P.2d 363,1967 NMSC 147
PartiesSTATE of New Mexico, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Joe SELGADO, Defendant-Appellant.
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
David L. Norvell, Clovis, for appellant
OPINION

NOBLE, Justice.

Joe Selgado was convicted of aggravated battery, and sentenced to serve a term of not less than two nor more than ten years in the penitentiary. An appeal from conviction and sentence of the trial court was affirmed by this court in State v. Selgado, 76 N.M. 187, 413 P.2d 469. He next attacked the judgment by petition pursuant to Rule 93, and has appealed from an order of the trial court denying the post-conviction relief sought.

The six contentions urged by the petitioner all raise points that could and should have been raised at trial. A petitioner is not entitled upon a motion to vacate a sentence to have his case retried on the facts, and only rarely may he raise questions of law which could have been raised by appeal. United States v. Meyers, 179 F.Supp. 289 (S.D.W.Va.1959); United States v. De Fillo, 182 F.Supp. 782 (S.D.N.Y.1959), aff'd 2 Cir., 277 F.2d 162.

The petitioner's first point challenges the sufficiency of the criminal information in failing to allege the date of the commission of the offense. This contention is without merit. An indictment or information is not required to allege the time of the offense. Section 41--6--11, N.M.S.A. 1953. If the time of the offense is material to the defense, it can be secured by bill of particulars. See, § 41--6--8, N.M.S.A. 1953. A defendant is protected by the right to request a bill of particulars, State v. Roessler, 58 N.M. 102, 266 P.2d 351, and a failure to request a bill of particulars amounts to a waiver of defects in the information. State v. Romero, 69 N.M. 187, 365 P.2d 58; State v. Lott, 73 N.M. 280, 387 P.2d 855.

The petitioner is not entitled to post-conviction relief on the grounds that the result might have been different if different trial tactics and strategy had been employed. Gardiner v. United States, 237 F.Supp. 692 (S.D.Tex.1964), aff'd 5 Cir., 341 F.2d 896. Here, the petitioner agrees that he discussed a change of venue with his attorney because of certain publicity, and that after consideration, his counsel decided against seeking the change. He cannot now complain of that decision. Nor is there merit in his contention that he was denied the right to produce witnesses in his behalf. His attorney, exercising trained judgment, did not call the two witnesses about which the petitioner now complains. Generally, an attorney of record has the exclusive power and control with respect to procedural and remedial matters over the litigation with which he is charged. State ex rel. Eden v. Dist. Court, 109 Mont. 263, 95 P.2d 447; People v. Merkouris, 46 Cal.2d 540, 297 P.2d 999. Our review of the petitioner's prior direct appeal to this court makes it apparent that he was ably and efficiently represented by his then appointed counsel.

Because no testimony respecting petitioner's intoxication was offered at the trial, the denial by police officers of a blood alcohol test was clearly not prejudicial.

Section 41--3--3, N.M.S.A. 1953, requiring the magistrate 'to examine the case' and § 41--3--8, N.M.S.A. 1953, requiring that the magistrate 'examine the complainant and any witnesses who may be introduced by him' are directory only as to the quantity of the evidence and do not require an examination of all the witnesses for the state. At a preliminary examination, the state is only required to produce evidence sufficient to establish reasonable ground for the magistrate's exercise of judgment; it is not required at that hearing to produce all of its evidence. Henderson v. Maxwell, 176 Ohio St. 187, 198 N.E.2d 456; People v. Barquera, 208 Cal.App.2d 104, 25 Cal.Rptr. 45; State ex rel. Briel v. Spieker, 271 Wis. 237, 72 N.W.2d 906. Thus, the prosecution's failure to produce the complaining witness at the preliminary...

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37 cases
  • Walker v. State
    • United States
    • Idaho Supreme Court
    • 7 November 1968
    ... ... Page 889 ... Kansas, have so held in recent decisions. State v. Gibby, 78 N.M. 414, 432 P.2d 258 (1967); Peterson v. State, 198 Kan. 26, 422 P.2d 567 (1967); State v. Knight, 78 N.M. 482, 432 P.2d 838 (1967); State v. Selgado, 78 N.M. 165, 429 P.2d 363 (1967); Kiser v. State, 196 Kan. 736, 413 P.2d 1002 (1966) ...         The second sentence of paragraph 10(c) alleges erroneous sentencing on the grounds it was based on his past record-probably obtained from a pre-sentence in-investigation-and on a failure to ... ...
  • State v. Lente
    • United States
    • New Mexico Supreme Court
    • 31 October 2019
    ... ... 738, 780 P.2d 880, 885 (1989). {16} Lente never filed pretrial objections to the indictment or demanded any additional pretrial specification of the charges. Having failed to do so, he waived the opportunity to object to the indictment on notice or due process grounds. State v. Selgado , 1967-NMSC-147, ¶ 3, 78 N.M. 165, 429 P.2d 363 ; State v. Lott , 1963-NMSC-219, ¶ 5, 73 N.M. 280, 387 P.2d 855 ; State v. Altgilbers , 1989-NMCA-106, ¶ 46, 109 N.M. 453, 786 P.2d 680 ; State v. Gammill , 1985-NMCA-014, ¶ 5, 102 N.M. 652, 699 P.2d 125. Even if Lente was not precluded ... ...
  • State v. Helker
    • United States
    • Court of Appeals of New Mexico
    • 2 December 1975
    ... ... 212, 430 P.2d 106 (1967). All the claims here, including the failure to request instructions, go to trial tactics and strategy. An attorney has the exclusive power and control with respect to procedural and remedial matters over the litigation with which he is charged. State v. Selgado, 78 N.M. 165, 429 P.2d 363 (1967). Our review of the record does not show that defendant was denied the effective assistance of counsel ...         As to the failure to request instructions on the issues of voluntariness, intoxication and diminished capacity we can only state that the ... ...
  • State v. Lindsey
    • United States
    • Court of Appeals of New Mexico
    • 5 December 1969
    ...Roy, 40 N.M. 397, 60 P.2d 646, 110 A.L.R. 1 (1936); State v. Putman, 78 N.M. 552, 434 P.2d 77 (Ct.App.1967). See also, State v. Selgado, 78 N.M. 165, 429 P.2d 363 (1967); State v. Shroyer, 49 N.M. 196, 160 P.2d 444 (1945); §§ 41-6-7, 8, 11 and 15, N.M.S.A.1953 (Repl.Vol. 6). By agreement wi......
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