State v. Murillo

This memorandum opinion was not selected for publication in the New Mexico Reports. Please see Rule 12-405 NMRA for restrictions on the citation of unpublished memorandum opinions. Please also note that this electronic memorandum opinion may contain computer-generated errors or other deviations from the official paper version filed by the Court of Appeals and does not include the filing date. 1 IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO 2 STATE OF NEW MEXICO, 3 Plaintiff-Appellee, 4 v. NO. 31,447 5 JUAN MURILLO, 6 Defendant-Appellant. 7 APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF EDDY COUNTY 8 J. Richard Brown, District Judge 9 Gary K. King, Attorney General 10 Santa Fe, NM 11 for Appellee 12 Jacqueline L. Cooper, Chief Public Defender 13 J.K. Theodosia Johnson, Assistant Appellate Defender 14 Santa Fe, NM 15 for Appellant 16 MEMORANDUM OPINION 17 FRY, Judge. 18 Defendant appeals from the district court’s order denying his motion to dismiss 19 multiple counts of fraud by worthless check. On appeal, Defendant contends that the 20 State was collaterally estopped from prosecuting some of the charges contained in his 1 2009 information, because he had been required to pay restitution on some of those 2 charges as part of a plea agreement he entered in 2007. The district court concluded 3 that the checks charged in the 2009 information were not the same as the checks 4 referred to in Defendant’s 2007 judgment and sentence. This Court issued a calendar 5 notice proposing to affirm. Defendant has filed a memorandum in opposition, which 6 we have duly considered. Unpersuaded, we affirm. 7 In this Court’s calendar notice, we noted that we generally apply a de novo 8 standard of review to the constitutional question of whether there has been a double 9 jeopardy violation. [CN 3 (citing State v. Andazola, 2003-NMCA-146, ¶ 14, 134 10 N.M. 710, 82 P.3d 77)] We noted, however, that where factual issues are intertwined 11 with the double jeopardy analysis, the trial court’s fact determinations are subject to 12 a deferential substantial evidence standard of review. [Id. (citing State v. Rodriguez, 13 2006-NMSC-018, ¶ 3, 139 N.M. 450, 134 P.3d 737)] We went on to suggest that the 14 pivotal issue on appeal was whether the district court was correct in concluding that 15 the conduct charged in the 2009 criminal information was separate from the conduct 16 previously addressed in Defendant’s 2007 judgment and sentence. [Id.] We noted 17 that the State had produced twenty-one checks written to Allsup’s in response to 18 Defendant’s motion to dismiss. The State asserted that these twenty-one checks 19 accounted for the twelve counts Defendant pleaded guilty to in 2007, in addition to 2 1 the nine additional counts for which Defendant was required to pay restitution. The 2 information provided by the State indicates different check numbers, dates, and 3 amounts from the check numbers, dates, and amounts identified in the twenty-eight 4 counts charged in the 2009 information. We conclude that this is sufficient 5 information to support the district court’s factual determination. See State v. Salgado, 6 1999-NMSC-008, ¶ 25, 126 N.M. 691, 974 P.2d 661 (providing that substantial 7 evidence is “such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to 8 support a conclusion”). 9 Defendant contends that there is a discrepancy between the total restitution 10 amount he was ordered to pay Allsup’s of $1,064.41 and the checks submitted by the 11 State as proof of the charges disposed of in the 2007 judgment and sentence. 12 Defendant asserts a difference of $193.17. [MIO 4] The State’s response indicates 13 that part of the restitution amount included $25.00 in bank fees paid by Allsup’s on 14 the twelve counts that were charged. [RP 72] Based on the twelve checks submitted 15 by the State and the inclusion of bank fees paid by Allsup’s, we calculate the total 16 amount accounted for by the State as $995.44. [RP 72, 78-84] We recognize that, 17 based on the information currently before this Court, there appears to be a discrepancy 18 of $68.97. However, we note that to the extent Defendant is raising this discrepancy 19 in the amount in an attempt to establish that the district court’s factual determination 3 1 that the two prosecutions involved different checks was erroneous, contrary evidence 2 does not require reversal where we are reviewing for substantial evidence and there 3 is other evidence to support the district court’s factual determination. See State v. 4 Rojo, 1999-NMSC-001, ¶ 19, 126 N.M. 438, 971 P.2d 829). Moreover, Defendant 5 points out that restitution may include “all damages which a victim could recover 6 against the defendant in a civil action arising out of the same facts.” [MIO 4 (citing 7 NMSA 1978, § 31-17-1 (2005)] The fact that the amount of restitution Defendant was 8 ordered to pay Allsup’s is not fully accounted for by the checks and fees identified by 9 the State, does not establish that Defendant’s 2007 judgment and sentence overlaps 10 with the charges contained in the 2009 information. 11 Accordingly, for the reasons stated above and in this Court’s notice of proposed 12 disposition, we affirm. 13 IT IS SO ORDERED. 14 15 CYNTHIA A. FRY, Judge 16 WE CONCUR: 17 18 JONATHAN B. SUTIN, Judge 4 1 2 J. MILES HANISEE, Judge 5