AI Generated Opinion Summaries

This summary was computer-generated without any editorial revision. It is not official, has not been checked for accuracy, and is NOT citable.

Facts

• The case involves the Defendant, Tyrone Davis, who was accused of physically attacking the Victim, the daughter of his now ex-girlfriend, Ms. Archuleta. The incident occurred at the Victim's grandfather's home during a dinner. The Defendant accused the Victim of stealing marijuana from him, which escalated to physical violence. The Defendant threw the Victim, hit her multiple times, choked her, and followed her outside to continue the assault. The Victim sustained multiple bruises, scratches, and a red mark on her neck from being strangled, leading to a loss of voice and difficulty swallowing and eating (paras 4-5).

Procedural History

• [Not applicable or not found]

Parties' Submissions

• Appellant (Defendant): Contended that the State failed to prove he caused "painful temporary disfigurement" to the Victim, as required for a conviction of misdemeanor aggravated battery. The Defendant argued that the evidence did not rise to the level of "painful temporary disfigurement" and relied on out-of-state case law to support his argument (paras 3, 6).
• Appellee (State): Argued that the Defendant's actions constituted "painful temporary disfigurement" under New Mexico law, sufficient to support a conviction for misdemeanor aggravated battery. The State's position is implied through the court's analysis and rejection of the Defendant's arguments (para 8).

Legal Issues

• Whether the evidence was sufficient to support the Defendant's conviction for misdemeanor aggravated battery, specifically whether the Defendant caused "painful temporary disfigurement" to the Victim (para 3).

Disposition

• The Court of Appeals affirmed the Defendant's conviction for misdemeanor aggravated battery (para 8).

Reasons

• Per Yohalem J., with Duffy J. and Ives J. concurring, the court held that the evidence was sufficient to support the Defendant's conviction. The court applied the standard for reviewing sufficiency of evidence, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the guilty verdict and determining whether substantial evidence exists to support a verdict of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The court found that the Defendant's actions, which resulted in bruises, scratches, a red mark on the Victim's neck, loss of voice, and difficulty swallowing and eating, constituted "painful temporary disfigurement" under New Mexico law. The court was not persuaded by the Defendant's reliance on out-of-state case law and his failure to provide a detailed analysis comparing those statutes to New Mexico's statute. The court concluded that the injuries sustained by the Victim fell squarely within the plain language of New Mexico's misdemeanor aggravated battery statute, affirming the conviction (paras 2-8).