State v. Ramirez

I dissent.

A. Defendant’s confession was not admissible in evidence.

On December 2, 1974, defendant, an uneducated, 20-year-old Mexican-born laborer, was arrested for murder. On December 4, 1974, he was arraigned before a magistrate in Las Cruces. At that time, the sheriff and magistrate assisted defendant, an indigent, in the preparation and signing of the necessary papers for appointment of counsel to represent him. The district court entered such an order on the same day.

The defendant wanted to talk to the sheriff and he was questioned by the sheriff and made answers, all taken down by means…