State v. Chadwick-McNally

Summary

The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed the district court’s order that death‑penalty procedures, including Rule 5‑704 and the Ogden hearing, do not apply to a capital‑felony case where the State seeks life without parole (LWOP). The Court also held that the statute’s plain language precludes bifurcated proceedings and bars the introduction of mitigating evidence at sentencing, and it found no Eighth‑Amendment violation for an adult defendant. The decision was remanded for further proceedings consistent with these holdings.