This seminar will examine the rights of criminal defendants in New Mexico state courts. While the course will consider other issues, the New Mexico Constitution will serve as the centerpiece of the class. New Mexico appellate courts have frequently interpreted the state constitution to provide broad protections for criminal defendants that exceed the rights guaranteed under the corresponding provisions of the United States Constitution. We will explore these opinions and discuss the areas in which New Mexico law follows federal precedent as well as looking at the situations where New Mexico courts have charted their own path. The course will require a student paper that may be used to fulfill the writing requirement; no examination will be given. To enroll in this course, students need to have taken Criminal Procedure I or obtain instructor permission.