From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

State v. Esquibel

Court of Appeals of New Mexico
Feb 16, 1977
90 N.M. 117 (N.M. Ct. App. 1977)

Opinion

No. 2650.

January 18, 1977. Certiorari Denied February 16, 1977.

Appeal from the District Court, San Miguel County, Joe Angel, D. J.

Charles G. Berry, Marchiondo Berry, Albuquerque, for Esquibel.

Jan A. Hartke, Chief Public Defender, Reginald J. Storment, Appellate Defender, William H. Lazar, Asst. Appellate Defender, Santa Fe, for defendant Kloeppel.

Suzanne Tanner, Louis Druxman, Asst. Attys. Gen., Santa Fe, for plaintiff-appellee.


OPINION


Convicted of possession of marijuana contrary to § 54-11-22(A)(1), N.M.S.A. 1953 (Repl. Vol. 8, pt. 2, 1962, Supp. 1975) defendants appeal. Defendant Kloeppel abandons certain issues raised in the docketing statement because they are not supported by the record. State v. Vogenthaler, 89 N.M. 150, 548 P.2d 112 (Ct.App. 1976). Kloeppel's point for reversal is the failure of the trial court to grant his motion for a directed verdict. Esquibel raises three issues for reversal: (1) directed verdict; (2) entrapment as a matter of law; and, (3) sufficiency of the evidence to go to the grand jury. We affirm.

Directed Verdicts

Both defendants contend that the legislature has narrowed the meaning of marijuana. Section 54-11-2(O), N.M.S.A. 1953 (Repl. Vol. 8, 1962, Supp. 1975) sets forth the definition of marijuana as "all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L." We need not answer this contention. Although, there was conflicting testimony by the experts, there was evidence (all the tests when taken as a whole) from which the jury could determine that the substance was "Cannabis sativa L." State v. Mora, 81 N.M. 631, 471 P.2d 201 (Ct.App. 1970).

Esquibel also asserts that the statute (§ 54-11-22(A)(2), N.M.S.A. 1953 (Repl. Vol. 8, pt. 2, 1962, Supp. 1975)) means that when THC was proved marijuana was excluded. Here the legislature separated marijuana (with a lesser penalty) from THC (as extracted from marijuana and more potent) by making its distribution subject to a greater penalty. Section 54-11-22(A)(2), supra.

Entrapment

Esquibel asserts entrapment as a matter of law. A review of the facts fails to disclose entrapment. State v. Fiechter, 89 N.M. 74, 547 P.2d 557 (1976) overruling State v. Sainz, 84 N.M. 259, 501 P.2d 1247 (Ct.App. 1972).

Sufficiency of the evidence before the Grand Jury

This court will not review the sufficiency of the evidence before the grand jury. State v. McGill, 89 N.M. 631, 556 P.2d 39 (Ct.App. 1976).

Affirmed.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

WOOD, C. J., and LOPEZ, J., concur.


Summaries of

State v. Esquibel

Court of Appeals of New Mexico
Feb 16, 1977
90 N.M. 117 (N.M. Ct. App. 1977)
Case details for

State v. Esquibel

Case Details

Full title:STATE of New Mexico, Plaintiff-Appellee v. Gary ESQUIBEL and Rick…

Court:Court of Appeals of New Mexico

Date published: Feb 16, 1977

Citations

90 N.M. 117 (N.M. Ct. App. 1977)
560 P.2d 181

Citing Cases

State v. Vail

); United States v. Moore, 446 F.2d 448 (3 Cir. 1971), certiorari denied; 406 U.S. 909, 92 S.Ct. 1617, 31…

State v. LaPietra

(Emphasis added.) See State v. Esquibel, 90 N.M. 117, 118, 560 P.2d 181, 182 (Ct.App. 1977) ("This [C]ourt…