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 Defendant was convicted for DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) for the fourth time. The State presented certified copies of judgments of conviction to prove the Defendant's three prior DWI convictions.

Procedural History

• [Not applicable or not found]

Parties' Submissions

• Appellee (State of New Mexico): Argued that the certified copies of judgments of conviction, which accurately reflected the Defendant's name and date of birth, were sufficient to prove the Defendant's identity and her three prior DWI convictions (para 3).
• Appellant (Defendant-Tiffany Henderson): Contended that additional evidence of identity, such as fingerprints or social security numbers, should have been required to prove her prior DWI convictions (para 4).

Legal Issues

• Whether the State provided sufficient evidence to prove the Defendant's three prior DWI convictions.

Disposition

• The Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction for DWI (fourth offense) (para 5).

Reasons

• The decision was authored by Judge James J. Wechsler with Judges Linda M. Vanzi and Timothy L. Garcia concurring. The Court held that the State met its burden of proof by presenting certified copies of judgments of conviction that accurately reflected the Defendant's name and date of birth. The Court found that this evidence was admissible and persuasive, and additional identifying information, such as fingerprints or social security numbers, was not required because the judgments accurately contained essential identifying information. The Defendant's reliance on the Clements case was distinguished because, in Clements, the judgments did not accurately reflect the defendant's name and lacked other identifying information. In contrast, the judgments in the present case contained accurate identifying details, rendering additional evidence unnecessary (paras 2-4).