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90 N.M. 735

568 P.2d 261

State v. Patterson

New Mexico Court of Appeals

Decided August 2, 1977

New Mexico Court of Appeals · decided 1977-08-02

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“A. unlawfully assaulting or striking at another with a deadly weapon * * * * [Emphasis added.]”

quoted by 1 later decision, including State v. DeMary

Relies on State v. Kraul · State v. Sandoval · State v. Trivitt

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1977-08-02

How this case has been cited

Cited by 12 later decisions — most recently March 2016

12 state decisions

8019771980199020002010decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶1 OPINION

WOOD, Chief Judge.

¶2 The dispositive issue is whether the aggravated assault offense of which defendant was convicted was a lesser offense included within the offense charged in the indictment.

¶3 The indictment charged a violation of § 40A-3-3, N.M.S.A. 1953 (2d Repl. Vol. 6) in that defendant assaulted the victim with intent to kill. Section 40A-3-3, supra, reads:

“Assault with intent to commit a violent felony. — Assault with intent to commit a violent felony consists of any person assaulting another with intent to kill or to commit any murder, mayhem, rape, robbery or burglary.
“Whoever commits assault with intent to commit a violent felony is guilty of a third degree felony.”

¶4 The trial court instructed the jury on aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The aggravated assault statute, § 40A-3-2, N.M.S.A. 1953 (2d Repl. Vol. 6) reads:

“Aggravated assault. — Aggravated assault consists of either:
“A. unlawfully assaulting or striking at another with a deadly weapon;
“B. committing assault by threatening or menacing another while wearing a mask, hood, robe or other covering upon the face, head or body, or while disguised in any manner, so as to conceal identity; or
“C. willfully and intentionally assaulting another with intent to commit any felony.
“Whoever commits aggravated assault is guilty of a fourth degree felony.”

¶5 The State asserts that aggravated assault was a lesser offense included within the charge of assault with intent to kill. The State’s argument is based on § 40A-3-2(C), supra. We do not consider whether § 40A-3-2(C), supra, is a lesser offense included within § 40A-3-3, supra, because that is not an issue in this case. No issue as to § 40A-3-2(C), supra, was submitted to the jury. The aggravated assault submitted to the jury was § 40A-3-2(A), supra — an assault committed with a deadly weapon.

¶6 The State's position, both at trial and on appeal, has been that the aggravated assault was a lesser offense included within the assault with intent to kill under the facts of the case. That is not the basis for determining whether an offense is a lesser included offense. In determining whether there is a lesser included offense “we look to the offense charged in the indictment.” State v. Medina, 87 N.M. 394, 534 P.2d 486 (Ct.App.1975). Thus, Criminal Procedure Rule 44(d) refers to “an offense necessarily included in the offense charged”. (Our emphasis.) State v. Kraul, 90 N.M. 314, 563 P.2d 108 (Ct.App.1977); see State v. Sandoval, 90 N.M. 260, 561 P.2d 1353 (Ct.App.1977).

¶7 For a lesser offense to be included within the greater, it must be necessarily included. To be necessarily included, the greater offense cannot be committed without also committing the lesser. State v. Kraul, supra; State v. Sandoval, supra; State v. Medina, supra.

¶8 Assault with intent to kill can be committed without use of a deadly weapon; thus, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon was not a lesser included offense. Compare State v. Taylor, 33 N.M. 35, 261 P. 808 (1927). The trial court erred in submitting aggravated assault with a deadly weapon because it was not included within the offense charged. State v. Trivitt, 89 N.M. 162, 548 P.2d 442 (1976).

¶9 Defendant’s conviction is reversed. The cause is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

¶10 IT IS SO ORDERED.

HENDLEY and HERNANDEZ, JJ., concur.
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