State v. PothierState v. Pothier
Rоch Pothier and James Cade (defendants) were charged with first degree murder. Each defendant gave extra judicial statements to the police, exculpating themselves and inculpating each other. Each defendant was called as a witness in the separate trial of the other. Each defendant claimed the fifth amendment privilege against self-incrimination and was granted use immunity. Despite the grant of immunity, each defеndant refused to testify and was held in direct contempt of court. The district judge declared mistrials in each trial and gave the state the option of agreeing to a six-month sentence or having a jury trial on the contempt issue where a sentence of more than six months could be imposed. The state chose the jury trial. In separate trials each defendant was found guilty of criminal contempt and sentenced to life imрrisonment. Defendants appeal. Because of the parallel facts and identical issues, the appeals are joined.
The issues defendants raise on appeal are:
A. Defendants were denied a preliminary hearing;
B. The evidence was insufficient;
C. Defendants were denied the use of a duress defense;
D. Proper jury instructions were not given;
E. Allocution was denied;
F. The district judge should have been disqualified; and
G. The sentence given to each defendant was illegal or an abuse of the district court discretion.
We uphold the district court on all issues except the sentences and remand for resentencing.
Contempt
Contempts are frequently neither completely civil nor strictly criminal. Gompers v. Buck’s Stove & Range Co.,
On the other hand, criminal contempt is punishment that vindicates the
Most contempt cases have elements of both civil and criminal contempt. The instant case does not try defendants for murder, only for criminal contempt. They need not escape prоsecution for murder. They could be held in civil contempt and confined until they comply with the court’s order to testify, and also punished for criminal contempt for their defiance to the court.
This appeal involves only the criminal contempt issues.
A. Preliminary Hearing
There are two types of criminal contempt. Direct contempt is contemptuous conduct in the presence of the court, and indirect contempt is an act committed outside the presence of the court. Stаte v. Stout,
Defendants here were not given a preliminary hearing. A preliminary hearing is held primarily to show the reasonable probability that the crime or act was committed by the accused. State v. Garcia,
We said in International Minerals and Chemical Corp. v. Local 177, United Stone and Allied Products Workers,
However, the United States Supreme Court stated in Bloom v. Illinois,
State v. New Mexican Printing Co.,
Contempt committed in open court may be punished summarily. In re Cherryhomes,
Defendants cite In re Stout,
Defendants argue that the New Mexico Constitution in art. II, Section 14, does allow one exception to the preliminary hearing requirement which is for military when in actual service in time of war or public danger. They reason that since the Constitution states an exception, all other exceptions are excluded. However, the exception applies to capital, felonious or infamous crime.
B. Evidence
The district judge read portions of the transcript of the original contempt occurrence into the record. Defendants argue that although their own statements are admissible under NMSA 1978, Evid.Rule 801(d)(2)(A) (Repl.Pamp.1983), as an admission by a party opponent, the statements of the district judge are hearsay and inadmissible. In re Nelson,
Defendants argue that they were not given an opportunity to confront or cross-examine the district judge as a witness against them. The transcript is the evidence presented, not the testimony of the district judge. Defendants do not question the accuracy of the transcript. It is the most accurate proof available; thus the testimony of the district judge is unnecessary. However, nothing prevented defendants
Defendants also object tо the reading of the transcript by the district judge. The judge asked both parties to agree on an edited tape or transcript and informed them that if they did not agree, he would read a selected portion. Neither party gave the judge an alternate version of the transcript, though defendants did ask that a tape of the incident be played in its entirety. The judge denied this request because of the prejudicial value of mаny of the statements made or that it was not relevant to the issue of contempt. See State v. Case,
C. Duress defense.
Duress is a defense in criminal cases if a defendant reasonably feared death or immediate and serious bodily harm which could be avoided only by committing the criminal act charged. See NMSA 1978, UJI Crim. 41.20 (Repl.Pamp. 1982); Esquibel v. State,
“The duress must be present, imminent and impending, and of such a nature as to induce a well-grounded apprehension of death or serious bodily injury * * * * The defense of duress is not established by proof that the defendant had been threatened with violence at some prior time, if he was not under any personal constraint at the time of the actual commission of the crime charged.”
Lee at 423,
In State v. Case,
The state has a legitimate interest in compelling defendants to testify as required by the rational relation standard established by the United States Supreme Court. Reed v. Reed,
Defendants also argue that because of the duress, they did not have the required intent for the contempt. However, regardless of the motive for the refusal to testify, as long as it was done with the awareness it was wrongful, the degree of intent necessary for a conviction was established. Patrick,
D. Jury instructions.
Defendants argue that the trial court did not properly instruct the jury on the elements of contemрt. “If error is to be claimed concerning a court’s failure to give a requested instruction to a jury, such instruction must be a proper statement of the law.” State v. Wilson,
Defendants also requested an instruction on the validity of the immunity order. They point out that perjury is specifically excepted from the immunity order. Since each defendant had given statements exculpating himself and inculpating the other, defendants argue that the state was compelling peijury in at least one instance and defendants had the right to refuse to testify by protection of the
Before a witness testifies, he is required to take an oath that he will testify truthfully. NMSA 1978, Evid.R. 603 (Repl.Pamp.1983). Every witness is obligated to testify truthfully regardless of what condition he comes to the stand. State v. Boeglin,
E. Allocution.
Defendants argue that they were denied their right to allocution.
These proceedings were in direct criminal contempt of court.
G. Sentence.
Defendants raise several points under this issue. We address the question of whether a life sentence for contempt of court is illegal and an abuse of discretion.
Defendants were convicted pursuant to
[T]he power of the courts to punish for contempt is not absolute, exclusive and free of all legislative regulation * * *. But, while the legislature may provide rules of procedure which are reasonable regulations of the contempt power it may not, either by enacting procedural rules or by limiting the penalty unduly, substantially impair or dеstroy the implied power of the court to punish for contempt.
We stated previously that contempt is neither wholly civil nor completely criminal. It is not governed by strict application of the criminal code. In light of the fact that there is no constitutional or statutory limit on a sentence of criminal contempt of court, the only limit is the district court’s discretion. Bloom,
Though the district court is accorded great discretiоn, it should not exercise more than the least possible power adequate to the end proposed. United States v. United Mine Workers,
In imposing punishment for criminal contempt, the court must look at:
1. The seriousness of the consequences of the contempt.
2. The public interest in enforcing a termination of defendant’s defiance.
3. The importance of deterring future defiance.
Case IV,
The situation presented here troubles this Court in that defendants are clearly manipulating and abusing the judicial system by not testifying in the face of a lawful order to do so. This behavior is clearly punishable as criminal contempt. As we said previously, if defendants were held in civil contempt, they would determine the length of their own sentence. However, civil contempt is not at issue here. The purpose of this criminal contempt proceeding is not to make defendants testify. They are being punished to vindicate the authority and dignity of the court. The public interest and the importance of deterring future defiance is very important. However, to uphold the dignity of the court, we believe life imprisonment is clearly excessive and against all reason. See State v. Hargrove,
Deterring future defiances such as this is very important. Thus, punishment is necessary, but how much punishment is necessary?
We must first look at what New Mexico courts have previously done. The Court of Appeals upheld the sentence of 180 days of a contemner in State v. Sanchez,
In looking to other states, twenty-five have statutes that put a limit on the maximum amount of time that can be served and fine that can bе imposed for contempt of court. 2 Three other states classify criminal contempt as a misdemeanor. 3 In no state is the statutory imprisonment longer than one year.
We therefore determine that compared to other New Mexico cases and other states, life imprisonment for criminal contempt of court is clearly an abuse of the district court’s discretion. Thus, the district court is affirmed on all issues except the sentence. This case is remanded for resentencing.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Notes
. State v. Case,
. Alaska Alaska Slat. § 09.50.020 (1983) 6 months, $300
Arkansas
Connecticut Conn.Gcn.Stat. § 51-33 (1985) 6 months, $100
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky Ky.Rcv.Stat. § 421.140 (1972) 24 hours, $30
Louisiana
Michigan
Minnesota Minn.Stal. § 588.10 (1984) 6 months, $250
Mississippi
Montana
Nevada Nev.Rev.Slat. Chap. 22.100 (1985) 25 days, $500
New York N.YJud.Law § 751 (Consol.1983 & Cum.Supp.1985) 30 days, $250
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
South Dakota
Tennessee
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming Wyo.Stat. § 1-21-902 2 days, $20
» California Cal.Penal Code § 166 (West 1970)
Delaware Del.Code Ann. tit. 11 § 1271 (Repl.Vol.1979)
Hawaii Hawaii Rev.Stat. tit. 37 § 710-1077 (Supp. 1984)