As used in the Delinquency Act:

Attorney's Note

Under the New Mexico Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
petty misdemeanorup to 6 monthsup to $500
For details, see N.M. Stat. Ann. § 31-19-1

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Terms Used In New Mexico Statutes 32A-2-3

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

A. “delinquent act” means an act committed by a child that would be designated as a crime under the law if committed by an adult, not including a violation of Section 30-9- 2 NMSA 1978, including the following offenses:

(1)     any of the following offenses pursuant to municipal traffic codes or the Motor Vehicle Code [Chapter 66, Articles 1 through 8 NMSA 1978]:

(a) driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs;

(b) failure to stop in the event of an accident causing death, personal injury or damage to property;

(c) unlawful taking of a vehicle or motor vehicle;

(d) receiving or transferring of a stolen vehicle or motor vehicle; (e) homicide by vehicle;

(f) injuring or tampering with a vehicle;

numbers;

(g) altering or changing of an engine number or other vehicle identification (h) altering or forging of a driver’s license or permit or any making of a fictitious license or permit;

(i) reckless driving;

(j) driving with a suspended or revoked license; or

(k) an offense punishable as a felony;

(2)     buying, attempting to buy, receiving, possessing or being served any alcoholic liquor or being present in a licensed liquor establishment, other than a restaurant or a licensed retail liquor establishment, except in the presence of the child’s parent, guardian, custodian or adult spouse. As used in this paragraph, “restaurant” means an establishment where meals are prepared and served primarily for on- premises consumption and that has a dining room, a kitchen and the employees necessary for preparing, cooking and serving meals. “Restaurant” does not include an establishment, as defined in regulations promulgated by the director of the special investigations unit of the department of public safety, that serves only hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and other fast foods;

(3)     a violation of Section 30-29-2 N.M. Stat. Ann., regarding the illegal use of a glue, aerosol spray product or other chemical substance;

1978];

(4)     a violation of the Controlled Substances Act [Chapter 30, Article 31 NMSA (5)     escape from the custody of a law enforcement officer or a juvenile probation or parole officer or from any placement made by the department by a child who has been adjudicated a delinquent child;

(6)     a violation of Section 30-15-1.1 N.M. Stat. Ann. regarding unauthorized graffiti on personal or real property; or

(7)     a violation of an order of protection issued pursuant to the provisions of the Family Violence Protection Act [N.M. Stat. Ann. Chapter 40, Article 13];

B. “delinquent child” means a child who has committed a delinquent act;

C. “delinquent offender” means a delinquent child who is subject to juvenile sanctions only and who is not a youthful offender or a serious youthful offender;

D. “detention facility” means a place where a child may be detained under the Children’s Code pending court hearing and does not include a facility for the care and rehabilitation of an adjudicated delinquent child;

E. “felony” means an act that would be a felony if committed by an adult; F. “misdemeanor” means an act that would be a misdemeanor or petty misdemeanor if committed by an adult;

G. “restitution” means financial reimbursement by the child to the victim or community service imposed by the court and is limited to easily ascertainable damages for injury to or loss of property, actual expenses incurred for medical, psychiatric and psychological treatment for injury to a person and lost wages resulting from physical injury, which are a direct and proximate result of a delinquent act. “Restitution” does not include reimbursement for damages for mental anguish, pain and suffering or other intangible losses. As used in this subsection, “victim” means a person who is injured or suffers damage of any kind by an act that is the subject of a complaint or referral to law enforcement officers or juvenile probation authorities. Nothing contained in this definition limits or replaces the provisions of Subsections A and B of Section 32A-2-27 N.M. Stat. Ann.;

H. “serious youthful offender” means an individual fifteen to eighteen years of age who is charged with and indicted or bound over for trial for first degree murder. A “serious youthful offender” is not a delinquent child as defined pursuant to the provisions of this section;

I. “supervised release” means the release of a juvenile, whose term of commitment has not expired, from a facility for the care and rehabilitation of adjudicated delinquent children, with specified conditions to protect public safety and promote successful transition and reintegration into the community. A juvenile on supervised release is subject to monitoring by the department until the term of commitment has expired and may be returned to custody for violating conditions of release; and

J. “youthful offender” means a delinquent child subject to adult or juvenile sanctions who is:

(1)     fourteen to eighteen years of age at the time of the offense and who is adjudicated for at least one of the following offenses:

(a) second degree murder, as provided in Section 30-2-1 N.M. Stat. Ann.;

(b) assault with intent to commit a violent felony, as provided in Section 30-3- 3 NMSA 1978;

(c) kidnapping, as provided in Section 30-4-1 N.M. Stat. Ann.;

1978;

(d) aggravated battery, as provided in Subsection C of Section 30-3-5 NMSA (e) aggravated battery against a household member, as provided in Subsection C of Section 30-3-16 N.M. Stat. Ann.;

(f) aggravated battery upon a peace officer, as provided in Subsection C of Section 30-22-25 N.M. Stat. Ann.;

(g) shooting at a dwelling or occupied building or shooting at or from a motor vehicle, as provided in Section 30-3-8 N.M. Stat. Ann.;

(h) dangerous use of explosives, as provided in Section 30-7-5 N.M. Stat. Ann.; (i) criminal sexual penetration, as provided in Section 30-9-11 N.M. Stat. Ann.; (j) robbery, as provided in Section 30-16-2 N.M. Stat. Ann.;

(k) aggravated burglary, as provided in Section 30-16-4 N.M. Stat. Ann.; (l) aggravated arson, as provided in Section 30-17-6 N.M. Stat. Ann.; or

(m)         abuse of a child that results in great bodily harm or death to the child, as provided in Section 30-6-1 N.M. Stat. Ann.;

(2)     fourteen to eighteen years of age at the time of the offense, who is adjudicated for any felony offense and who has had three prior, separate felony adjudications within a three-year time period immediately preceding the instant offense. The felony adjudications relied upon as prior adjudications shall not have arisen out of the same transaction or occurrence or series of events related in time and location.

Successful completion of consent decrees is not considered a prior adjudication for the purposes of this paragraph; or

(3)     fourteen years of age and who is adjudicated for first degree murder, as provided in Section 30-2-1 N.M. Stat. Ann..